Anti-Covid nasal spray begins trials in UK on January 11



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LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE) – The first UK clinical trials of a nasal spray that has proven to kill 99.9% of the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19 will begin on January 11 at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in Surrey.

SaNOtize Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) is designed to kill the virus in the upper respiratory tract, preventing it from incubating and spreading to the lungs.

The treatment, developed by SaNOtize Research and Development Corp. based in Vancouver, Canada, was found to be 99.9% effective at killing the coronavirus in independent lab tests at the Antiviral Research Institute at the University of Utah. Additional studies in rodents infected with COVID-19 have shown a reduction of over 95% in the first day after infection. It is currently in Phase II clinical trials across Canada, approved by Health Canada and in other countries.

SaNOtize treatment is based on nitric oxide, a natural nanomolecule produced by the human body with proven antimicrobial properties that have a direct effect on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Treatment can be given by nasal spray, throat gargle, or nasal wash.

Laboratory tests of the SaNOtize treatment at the Antiviral Research Institute of Utah State University confirmed that the company’s nitric oxide release solution inactivated over 99.9% of SARs -CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in two minutes.

Rodent studies at Colorado State University showed an average reduction of more than 95% in the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 tested the day after infection, with half of the rodents not having no detectable virus. This followed the inoculation with the virus and two treatments with SaNOtize nasal spray.

“Any intervention to treat the coronavirus – the virus responsible for Covid-19 – is to be welcomed. The fact that a relatively easy and straightforward nasal spray can be an effective treatment is good news and offers a significant advance in our therapeutic arsenal for this devastating disease. Ashford and St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to be at the forefront of experimentation with this intervention, ”said Pankaj Sharma MD PhD FRCP, professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Research at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The importance of nitric oxide in the human body and its healing properties was first discovered by Professor Ferid Murad of Stanford University, among others, for whom he shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 Professor Murad is a member of the board of directors of SaNOtize.

“Nitric oxide is an incredibly versatile molecule that regulates almost everything in our body,” said Dr. Murad. “When used therapeutically, it has a well-documented safety profile and has been shown to be effective against a wide variety of viruses, bacteria and fungi. I am excited to work with the SaNOtize team and believe they have safe technology that could be effective in treating infections, including Covid-19. ”

“SaNOtize nasal spray is a barrier. It contains nitric oxide which prevents and treats early infection by destroying the virus and preventing viral replication in the cells of the nose. In addition, nitric oxide has been shown to block the ACE-2 receptor essential for the virus to infect our cells. This is what makes our product unique and sets it apart from any other nasal approach, ”said Dr. Chris Miller, Scientific Director and Co-Founder of SaNOtize.

“It’s a safe technology that could be effective in treating infections, including Covid-19,” Dr Miller said. “Everyone just thinks you catch the virus, get into your lungs and die, but it’s a progression. First you are exposed to it, and the virus tries to attach itself to the cells in your nose, and it takes a while to incubate, and multiply in the nasal cells for a few days, then the virus will spread to your lungs. .

“What we’re looking at is cleaning the upper respiratory tract at different times of the day. In the morning when you get up, where the virus has spread and started to build up in the back of your upper airways, first spray of the day, then you go out during the day, and you can’t not always control social distancing as we end lockdown, and therefore we have nasal sprays throughout the day. At the end of the day, you come home and basically rinse your nose and nasopharynx, which will cleanse your nose, sinuses, and the back of your throat where these viruses initially reside, ”Dr. Miller said.

Rob Wilson, a former UK government minister who represents SaNOtize in the UK and the EU, is overseeing the trial.

“If, as we anticipate, the current results of Phase II in Canada confirm the very encouraging results received from the Antiviral Research Institute and ongoing studies at Colorado State University, SaNOtize will apply for authorization of emergency in Canada to proceed directly with the introduction of phase IV of the product. in the market as part of the continued global fight against this deadly pandemic, ”Wilson said.

“The immunization program is essential, but it will also take time to get it out to the general public. Mutant strains can develop and require modifications to the vaccine. It is not known how long the immunological protection will last, but it is also not known whether the vaccines will prevent people vaccinated from becoming infected and potentially spreading the virus to other unprotected people.

For these reasons, it is important to explore and deliver simple, safe and inexpensive over-the-counter therapeutic product solutions in the UK and EU as soon as possible, which is why I am launching these trials very soon. in the United Kingdom, the first in Europe. The nasal spray can not only block the entry of the virus, but the active ingredient, nitric oxide, kills the virus and prevents it from multiplying. If successful, people in Britain and Europe could benefit from an effective, safe and accessible treatment within months that they can use on a daily basis to kill the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading, ”Wilson said .

“This simple treatment will help us get back to something that comes closer to normal social life, work and travel with some confidence that even though we inhale the virus we can both protect and destroy it by regularly applying the virus. SaNOtize solution, ”Wilson told me.

“The SaNOtize treatment should be viewed as an effective treatment for the upper respiratory tract, such as when people use hand sanitizers to clean their hands outside of the body. When people are potentially exposed, they will spray to clean their upper respiratory tract and kill the virus, before it can cause serious illness, ”Wilson said.

Research published in Nature confirms that the nose is the primary area of ​​infection, especially at the onset of infection. Hospital trials with nitric oxide are underway in the United States and Europe with critically ill coronavirus patients inhaling the gas to kill the virus in their lungs and prevent progression to serious infection. SaNOtize solution can be applied outside of a hospital setting. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and secure.

The company’s strategy is to use nitric oxide spray as a multi-step defense against infection and to provide effective treatment for mild and moderate cases with the goal of preventing a severe inflammatory response and infection of the lungs.

Scientists believe the coronavirus is transmitted via airborne droplets to the mucous membranes of the nose, where it is replicated over a three-day incubation period, damaging cells in the nasal lining, and then carried in nasal secretions towards the lower respiratory tract, leading to the danger of fatal viral pneumonia.

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