Canadian biotech SaNOtize said that a Phase 2 trial of its nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) in COVID-19 patients demonstrated that the nasal spray reduced viral load by about 95% within 24 hours post dose and by more than 99% within 72 hours. In addition, clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was 16 times faster for patients using NONS than for those given a placebo. Based on those data, the company said that it is applying for emergency use authorization in Canada and the UK.
The trial, which was conducted by researchers from the UK National Health Service, enrolled 79 patients with mild COVID-19, most of whom were infected with the UK variant, who received either NONS or placebo. According to SaNOtize, no adverse events were reported. The company said that previous Phase 2 trials conducted in Canada demonstrated similar results.
SaNOtize co-founder and CEO Gilly Regev said, “Now that NONS has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in clinical trials, 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. The human toll of this disease cannot be expressed simply in numbers, and each day compounds the frustration, fear and loss suffered by millions around the world. Combined with the roll-out of vaccines, NONS can help get the world back on its feet.”
Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Chris Miller added, “NONS destroys the virus, blocks entry into and halts viral replication within the nasal cavity, which rapidly reduces viral load. This is significant because viral load has been linked to infectivity and poor outcomes. There is currently a lack of an antiviral therapy that is effective against COVID-19 and its variants, can prevent or shorten the course of the disease, reduce damage, lower the severity of COVID-19, and can be made widely and readily available to the public. This is what makes NONS unique and enables it to stand alone from any other novel therapeutic application.”
Read the SaNOtize press release.
