An Israeli CEO's biotech firm said on Sunday that it is seeking UK emergency approval for its “revolutionary” coronavirus-busting nasal spray.
The Canadian company co-founded by Dr. Gilly Regev, called SaNOtize, says its nitric oxide spray was designed to “kill the virus in the upper airways, preventing it from incubating and spreading to the lungs.”
SaNOtize said on Sunday that a UK clinical trial of 79 patients found those given the spray had a 16 times greater reduction in their viral load than participants taking a placebo.
Their viral load - a measure of the amount of Covid-19 found in patients - dropped by more than 95 per cent within a day and by 99 per cent in 72 hours.
Previous studies have suggested a link between viral loads and the severity of symptoms and transmission rate of the disease.
SaNOtize said no “adverse events” were recorded in the group, the majority of which was heavily infected with the UK variant of the virus.
The trial, led by the Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, began in January after earlier lab tests in the US found the virus to be over 99.9 per cent effective in killing the virus.
Dr Regev said the spray could “help get the world back on its feet” when combined with vaccine rollouts.
“Now that the [spray] has been demonstrated to be safe and effective, we must move with urgency to get it into the hands of the public where it can help bring an end to the pandemic, accelerate a return to normality, and prevent future outbreaks of Covid-19 and its variants,” she said.
Consultant medical virologist Dr Stephen Winchester, chief trial investigator, said the treatment “could be revolutionary.”
He said the spray could be “highly effective” in treating Covid-19 and reducing transmission.
“Our trial included patients with a variant of concern and high viral loads yet still demonstrated significant reductions in the levels of SARS-CoV-2, which could be critical in supporting vaccines, preventing future outbreaks and safely reopening economies
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