Nasal spray developed by Australians enters human trials in bid to prevent COVID-19
Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed how a nasal spray has received more funding in a bid to find another way to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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Exclusive: A breakthrough Australian nasal spray that not only stops COVID-19 but also prevents the common cold and influenza has been given government funding to start human trials.
Developed by Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory, the blockbuster preventive treatment works by stimulating the innate immune system, the body’s first line of defence against viruses and other germs.
In September trials in ferrets showed it was 96 per cent effective at preventing the replication of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the nose. The research is yet to be peer reviewed.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the nasal spray would be taken to the next stage of testing, thanks to Brandon Capital Partners and the Morrison Government’s Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF).
“The Government, alongside Brandon Capital Partners has committed $11.7 million to test the nasal spray treatment that targets the primary site of most respiratory virus infections,” he said.
The federal government has provided $3.5 million of the funding and Brandon Capital $8.2 million.
Safety trials of the vaccine will begin in Sydney in December and the company needs more funding for efficacy trials that would begin in March 2021.
Dr Chris Nave from Brandon Capital said it was “not unreasonable” to predict the treatment could be on the market by 2022 if trials went well.
“This is exactly what the BTF was set up for which is to help the translation of great Australian discoveries into the clinic,” Dr Nave said.
“What a great example of the program and that it’s helping to support technology that may end up playing a big role in combating COVID,” he said.
“The program has been designed so that if successful, INNA-051 will be manufactured and formulated in Australia, creating manufacturing jobs into the future.”
If it works in humans the spray would be of immense value in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
People would be able to self-administer the spray several times a week to protect themselves from the virus.
It would be particularly helpful for frontline health workers who are constantly exposed to COVID-19.
But its application is potentially far wider.
The nasal spray doesn’t target a specific virus but instead primes the immune system to fight off any type of virus.
In recent years tests showed it could reduce and prevent all the major respiratory viruses including influenza, rhinovirus (which causes the common cold), Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronavirus.
It was “entirely possible” the drug could even work against HIV and the virus that causes cervical cancer, but it had not yet been tested on these said Associate Professor Nathan Bartlett, head of Viral Immunology at the Hunter Medical Research Institute.
The immune stimulant is cheap to produce and works within 24 hours, much faster than a vaccine.
It uses a synthetic molecule called INNA-051 discovered six years ago by Doherty Institute scientist Professor David Jackson.
Other ventures to receive $9.5 million funding under the grant scheme include Kira Biotech which is trying to correct auto-immune diseases where the immune system attacks healthy cells.
Closed Loop Medical will receive $10 million for its technology which aims to improve treatments nervous system disorders including Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and bladder dysfunction.
Adherium will receive $5 million to develop a digital medication monitoring system for people with respiratory diseases that can remind asthma patients to take their medication.
Polyactiva’s received $5 million for a novel polymer that delivers medication to the eyes and could help treat glaucoma.
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