Bristol University spinout Halo Therapeutics announced that it has raised £1.5 million in a funding round led by the Development Bank of Wales to support a Phase 1 trial of the company’s HTLX-1 linoleic acid pan-coronavirus antiviral nasal spray. According to the company’s web site, Halo is developing nasal formulations based on its free fatty acid technology for both prevention and early treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as an inhaled formulation for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.
Chief Scientific Officer Imre Berger said, “Vaccination and treatments have reduced the impact of the virus, but it is still a significant health risk. Our self-administered and cost-effective antiviral treatment stops the virus from entering and multiplying in the nasal epithelial cells, where it can then spread to the throat and then into the lungs. It is a potential game-changer in the treatment and prevention of coronaviruses, particularly with the emergence of new viruses.”
Read the Halo Therapeutics press release.
