US biotech Diomics Corporation has announced plans to develop a prophylactic nasal spray against COVID-19 using antibodies licensed from Active Motif. According to the company, the Dioguard nasal spray, currently in in vitro testing, uses nanobeads made from the company’s Diomat biopolymer loaded with Active Motif’s 414-1 human IgG monoclonal antibodies.
Diomics CEO Anthony Zolezzi commented, “A preventative nasal spray that effectively neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 before it can cause infection we believe holds the key to allowing many aspects of life to resume until the day comes when there’s an effective vaccine in widespread use. Binding the neutralizing antibodies to our propriety nanobeads extends their residency time in the nasal mucosa to up to 24 hours, enabling people to replenish their protection once a day.”
The company said that it plans to seek Fast Track designation from the FDA for the nasal spray.
Read the Diomics Corporation press release.
