Anti-COVID-19 nasal spray works on mice, effective against Delta variant: Study
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The spray has proved to be effective against the Delta variant, reports claim.
According to reports, scientists have tested a new COVID-19 nasal spray treatment against mice which has reportedly proved "highly effective".
The spray has been developed by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada.
The spray has proved to be effective against the Delta variant, reports claim, including against all COVID-19 variants. Reports say it could be the first step in developing the spray for humans which could take place after approval is granted.
Dr. François Jean who has been working on the spray said the unpublished results represent "encouraging findings" with the rapid spread of Omicron BA.2 around the world.
"Unfortunately, with another wave of an Omicron variant hitting the UK, Europe, and China and our knowledge of how these waves occur, this may be what we see in Canada in the near future," Jean said, adding, "once approved, this compound could be used in combination with already available drugs."
Watch: 'Stealth' Omicron variant BA.2 is now globally dominant
The compound named N-0385 blocks the human enzyme activity which is used by the virus to infect the host cell. The researchers used four variants, including Delta to test the compound.
The genetically engineered mice who were infected with the virus were given the compound in a nasal spray format for four days as all ten treated mice survived as against 20 per cent of untreated mice. The N-0385 compound was also used against mice with the Delta variant and was found to be effective.
Reports claim it can be used with other drugs to fight the virus since the compound works as an "entry inhibitor" while blocking the entry of the virus into the cells of the human body.
(With inputs from Agencies)