Australian company Starpharma launches anti-viral nasal spray to help tackle coronavirus

An Australian biotech company has joined the fight against coronavirus by launching an anti-viral nasal spray that’s already available in the UK.

Starpharma first rolled out the product known as Viraleze in London at the end of March and it’s currently being sold for the equivalent of A$27 in Lloyds Pharmacy chemists across the city.

The spray, which was developed in Melbourne, works by ‘deactivating’ the virus as soon as it enters the nose, preventing the person using it from getting sick.

CEO of the company, Jackie Fairley, said the spray is best used once every six hours for up to 30 days – acting as a form of defence to the virus when social distancing is not possible.

While the product is not yet available within Australia, the company says it has plans to launch the spray on home soil soon. 

Melbourne-based company, Starpharma, first rolled out the product known as Viraleze in London at the end of March

‘Viraleze is actually all about trying to stop it and kill it before entering your body,’ she told Seven News.

‘If you’re using it when going on a train or in the supermarket then you might use it just as needed.’

The spray targets the area in the nose where respiratory viruses like colds and flus first become active, the company’s website explains.

‘The nasal cavity is the primary site where Covid-19 becomes established, before spreading to the lungs,’ the website reads.

The nasal spray is not considered a substitute to vaccines but can be used as another measure to help protect people against Covid-19 (pictured Perth residents wear face masks while walking through city’s CBD)

CEO Jackie Fairley said the spray is best used once every six hours for up to 30 days – acting as a form of defence to the virus when social distancing is not possible

The spray contains the anti-viral ingredient astodrimer sodium which has been tested and proven to inactivate viruses.

This ingredient then traps the Covid-19 virus and blocks it from entering and infecting a person’s body.

The spray works as a barrier to the virus, inactivating it and its ability to affect people, the Melbourne-based company said.

‘The “blocked” viruses are then cleared naturally through the nasal mucus,’ Starpharma said.

While the spray has not yet been approved for sale in Australia, it quickly became the top selling product at Lloyds Pharmacy.

Ms Fairley stressed that the spray wasn’t used as a substitute for the vaccine or face masks but could be used as an extra protective measure.

Starpharma are now working on launching the product in the rest of Covid-ravaged Europe as well as India which are seeing upwards of 300,000 cases in one day.