A nasal spray developed by a company co-founded by Canada-based Israeli Dr Gilly Regev has been found to be 99.9 percent effective in destroying coronavirus in the upper airways.
The Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray, developed by Canadian company SaNOtize, is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials in Canada.
The treatment uses nitric oxide, which has been shown to be effective in stopping Covid-19 from spreading through the nose and into the respiratory system and can even prevent someone from contracting the virus.
Dr Regev said: “This is a liquid, made out of compounds that are used naturally in food, and when you combine them together they create a very small amount of nitric oxide”. “Nitric oxide is a molecule that we all have in our body… and it’s also approved to treat babies who have respiratory challenges”, she added.
The spray is currently being trialled in the UK at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey.
Pankaj Sharma MD PhD FRCP, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Research at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: “Any intervention for treating coronavirus – the virus responsible for Covid-19 – is to be welcomed. The fact that a relatively easy and simple nasal spray could be an effective treatment is welcome news and offers a significant advance in our therapeutic armoury against this devastating disease. Ashford and St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to be at the forefront of trialling this intervention”.
