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A nasal spray that will be marketed as capable of killing 99.9% of viral particles has started rolling off production lines at an Israeli factory.
The spray could have prevented much of the global infection with COVID-19, its inventor, Dr Gilly Regev, told The Times of Israel.
“We hope that our nasal spray will now save many lives in countries waiting for the vaccine,” said Regev, a biochemist raised in Israel who co-founded the company SaNOtize and developed the spray in Canada. “It will be affordable and can be used for prevention, to protect against any respiratory viral infection.”
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She said it had been shown to be effective in the laboratory against a wide range of viruses, and said newer variants of the coronavirus would not interfere with its effectiveness, stressing: “It contains a broad spectrum antiviral that kills all viruses and all variants. ”
3D medical animation still shot showing the structure of a coronavirus (https://www.scientificanimations.com/coronavirus-symptoms-and-prevention-explained-through-medical-animation/)
Regev called Enovid an “equivalent of nose hand sanitizer” and said it creates a physical barrier in the nasal passages to stop viruses as well as a “chemical barrier” of nitric oxide, which is known for its antimicrobial qualities. “Nitric oxide means it’s a special spray that not only blocks viruses, but actually kills them,” she said.
Israel will become the first country where the spray is sold. The Department of Health has given provisional approval for its sale as a suitable medical device for people 12 years of age and older – meaning it could be used by many people who are not yet approved for vaccines against coronavirus – with packaging that says, “Scientifically tested to kill 99.9% virus in 2 minutes.” ”
A bottle of Enovid, a new antiviral nasal spray produced in Israel (courtesy of SaNOtize)
It has also been approved for sale in New Zealand, and approval is sought in other countries, including the United Kingdom.
Regev said the Ness Ziona factory near Tel Aviv was working to produce a stock of 200,000 to 500,000 bottles by May. “After that, we hope to reach the capacity of one million bottles per month,” said the Hebrew University graduate, adding, “I hope this product will bring pride and jobs to Israel.”
The claim on the package is based on laboratory tests, in which a range of live viruses, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2, have been subjected to the spray. She acknowledged that the experiments took place outside the human body, in test tubes, and did not provide definitive proof of the spray’s effectiveness in the nasal passages – although she said they are very encouraging.
Separate research, which is not mentioned on the packaging, has suggested that the spray may reduce the impact of COVID-19 among those infected.
Last week, SaNOtize and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, UK, announced clinical trial results indicating that the spray could prevent the transmission of COVID-19, shorten its course and reduce the severity symptoms and damage in them. already infected. The study has been submitted to a leading medical journal for review and publication.
Family members wearing safety gear visit a relative in the coronavirus ward at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem on February 3, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
The spray was fully developed around the time the pandemic hit, as it was invented primarily to fight the flu. Its innovation is the nitric oxide dosage procedure. “It normally comes in gas cylinders and is normally delivered to hospitals, but we wanted a convenient way to deliver it as a liquid antimicrobial and have spent the past 12 years developing it,” Regev said.
The ingredients in the spray mix when administered to form nitric oxide, she said, noting, “All of the components are widely used in the food industry and have a very high safety profile. ” Each bottle contains a one-month supply for one person to spray twice a day to protect against viruses.
She said: “In theory, we could have released it a year ago, but we had to negotiate regulatory approval. It’s the biggest frustration, that we’ve been trying 24/7 for a year to bring it to market, and it could have saved a lot of lives. I think it would have avoided infections and therefore reduced the number of deaths.
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