COVID-19 study shows nasal spay reduced viral replication in animals

A study conducted by an Australian biotech firm Ena Respiratory revealed that its novel nasal treatment has proved remarkably successful in reducing COVID-19 viral replication in animals. The nasal treatment was developed by the company to boost the natural human immune system to fight common colds and flu. The study was led by Public Health England’s (PHE) Deputy Director, Professor Miles Carroll, and was published today on the research site, bioRxiv.

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The study revealed that the novel product, INNA-051, being developed by Ena Respiratory, reduced viral replication by up to 96 percent in animals. The INNA-051 compound works by stimulating the innate immune system, the first line of defence against the invasion of pathogens into the body. The study said that by boosting the immune response in this way with INNA-051 prior to infection, the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect the animals and replicate was dramatically reduced. 

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Nasal spray proves effective 

"We’ve been amazed by just how effective our treatment has been. By boosting the natural immune response of the ferrets with our treatment, we’ve seen a rapid eradication of the virus. If humans respond in a similar way, the benefits of treatment are two-fold. Individuals exposed to the virus would most likely rapidly eliminate it, with the treatment ensuring that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms," said Ena Respiratory Managing Director, Dr. Christophe Demaison in a statement on Monday.

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Ena Respiratory has raised AU$11.7 million from Australian investors and if it gets regulatory approval, the company could be ready to test the product on humans in less than four months. The company said that it is urgently seeking additional funding to accelerate the nasal spray’s clinical development and global distribution.

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