JERUSALEM, March 22 (Reuters) – Israel and New Zealand have given provisional approval for the sale of nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) from the biotechnology firm SaNOtize Research and Development, which can help prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the company said on Monday.
Manufacturing of NONS, under the Enovid brand, started in Israel with SaNOtize partner Nextar Chempharma Solutions Ltd and is expected to go on sale this summer.
In New Zealand, SaNOtize registered its nasal spray with the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, which allows the company to distribute and sell NONS over the counter immediately, the Vancouver-based company said.
NONS protects users from viruses entering the body through the upper nasal passages.
Last week, SaNOtize and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, UK, announced the results of clinical trials showing that NONS was an effective antiviral treatment that could prevent transmission of COVID-19, shorten its course and reduce the severity of symptoms and damage to those already infected.
Chris Miller, head of science at SaNOtize, said his nitric oxide formulation for use in humans is designed to “kill viruses in the upper airways, preventing them from incubating and spreading to the lungs”
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
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