Canadian company SaNOtize, in tandem with various partner companies the world over, has devised a nasal spray treatment capable of clearing the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 from an individual’s nostrils. A Phase-3 trial conducted in India amid the Delta and Omicron waves of the virus saw the spray drastically reduce nasal viral loads in the span of a few days, far outperforming the trial’s placebo, and those receiving the treatment had negative test results on a much faster timeline. The nitty-gritty of this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was laid out in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia. More than 300 COVID-positive adults with mild symptoms, vaccinated and unvaccinated, were split into two groups: treatment and placebo. Those administered the spray received it six times a day for a week.
Overall viral load reduction in the treatment group reached 99% in a mere two days. Compared with a typical seven-day period before a negative test result for the placebo group, those treated with the spray tested negative after an average of three days. Moreover, the spray was considered convenient and unobtrusive, with just a handful of participants experiencing discomfort in their nasal passageways.
“The Phase 3 study results strongly support the safety and efficacy of [the nitric oxide nasal spray] in the treatment of COVID-19 and its known variants,” said SaNOtize’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gilly Regev. The spray itself contains nitric oxide, which is often paired with medication for individuals with certain conditions to help widen airways and blood vessels. Research pointing to the possible antimicrobial effects of nitric oxide made it an encouraging candidate for incorporation into an early-stage COVID counteraction treatment. Seeing as infection tends to first occur in the upper respiratory tract, a nasal spray is ideal as a direct, interactive treatment.
