Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has acquired the rights to manufacture and sell SaNOtize’s nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) in India and at least a dozen other markets in Asia for the treatment of COVID-19, the companies have announced. Glenmark expects to be ready to launch the nasal spray as “FabiSpray” in India by the fourth quarter of this year following completion of a Phase 3 trial in Indian patients. Other markets covered by the deal include Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Nepal, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
NONS is already being marketed in Israel and Bahrain as “Enovid” and has received the CE mark in Europe. A Phase 2 trial of NONS in COVID-19 patients demonstrated that the nasal spray reduced viral load by about 95% within 24 hours and 99% in 72 hours. In June 2021, SaNOtize announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial of the nitric oxide nasal spray for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and said that it had submitted a marketing application in Canada.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Chairman Glenn Saldanha commented, “Our efforts since the beginning of COVID-19 have been to provide patients with safe and effective treatment options to fight the disease. This partnership with SaNOtize closely aligns with Glenmark’s focused approach against COVID-19 and will help reduce the burden of the pandemic in the region. It also marks another valuable in-licensing opportunity for us in our key therapy area of respiratory medicine, as well as the possibility to globally supply the product to SaNOtize and its partners outside of our territory. Glenmark will ensure timely and widespread access to this effective nasal spray, which we hope will bring much needed relief to patients across the region and the wider world.”
SaNOtize CEO and co-founder Gilly Regev said, “COVID-19 and its various variants are proving to be a challenge to contain despite the rapid – and critical – development of vaccines. SaNOtize is excited to collaborate with Glenmark in providing broader, easier and affordable access to its treatment. In joining forces with Glenmark, SaNOtize can accelerate the efforts to have its antiviral nasal spray available as a self-administered, first line of defense against COVID-19 during the current pandemic and to help prevent future outbreaks.”
Read the Glenmark Pharmaceuticals press release.
