Until a vaccine for Covid-19 is available, we are told that our best defenses are facemasks, social distance and handwashing.
Another potential defense is Bio-Wall, a nasal spray under development at Israeli company BioChange.
Bio-Wall forms a temporary flexible film over the mucosa of the nose, throat and oral cavity. Antiviral components in the bio-adhesive matrix are meant to trap the virus and block it.
“Once Bio-Wall is sprayed over the mucosa, it masks the tissue from pathogen penetration and infectious disease such as the Covid-19 virus” for several hours, says BioChange Chairman and CEO Ishay Attar.
The company’s main focus is developing CellFoam, is a bio-adhesive 3D foam scaffold structure for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. It is already available in the veterinary market.
“Bio-Wall is based on the innovative BioChange scaffold technology, re-engineered to serve as a pathogen trap, preventing virus attachment to its receptor,” says Attar. “This will eradicate viruses in the initial infection phase, just as they land in the body.”
The drug-free formula will be clinically tested in six to eight months. If successful, Bio-Wall could get CE and FDA approval as a Class II medical device as soon as the third quarter of 2021.
Meanwhile, Nufar Natural Products is selling Corona Beach Spray in Israeli pharmacies and online. CEO Israel Solodoch describes this product as a quick-drying perfumed disinfecting spray.
“Corona Beach spray contains 70 percent alcohol and is more concentrated than the alcohol in a gel formulation, so it disinfects more effectively,” says Solodoch. “The spray also contains jojoba oil to prevent dehydration of the hands and eucalyptus aromatic oil, which is an antiseptic.”
This paraben-free solution claims to disinfect surfaces from phones to coins to elevator buttons – as well as the outer surface of facemasks — and for hand hygiene when soap and water aren’t available.
“It can also be sprayed in the air at a distance, disinfecting the environment if someone coughs or sneezes anywhere you are,” Solodoch tells ISRAEL21c.
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