ANN ARBOR, Mich. – An over-the-counter antiseptic nasal antiseptic by an Ann Arbor-based company has been said to kill COVID-19 in lab trials.
Made by BlueWillow Biologics, the nasal solution NanoBio Protect has been tested in in vitro laboratory studies by the British scientists at Public Health England. BlueWillow Biologics is a biopharmaceutical and biotech spinoff from the University of Michigan.
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The antiseptic has not been clinically tested in humans.
In an announcement last week, the company stated that the nasal antiseptic is not a cure or a vaccine for the novel coronavirus but can be used in addition to other preventative measures, like handwashing.
“We see it as part of a total program to prevent infection. It’s not a cure,” Dr. Chad Costley, chief medical officer at BlueWillow Biologics told the Detroit Free Press. “It’s part of a total solution to help people get back to their lives.”
The product is will soon be available for purchase on Amazon for $24.95. Each bottle contains 40 treatments.
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How It Works
NanoBio Protect is applied to the inside of the nose with a swab to kill the COVID-19 virus and other germs on the skin. The company states that the antiseptic is alcohol-free, fragrance-free and does not leave a residue when applied.
Through patented nanotechnology, the product uses oil-in-water nano-droplets and a common skin antiseptic, benzalkonium chloride, to kill germs. According to BlueWillowBiologistics, the antiseptic provides a similar level of protection to that of hand sanitizer.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA have not commented on the effectiveness of the nasal solution in preventing COVID-19. The CDC has stated that benzalkonium chloride is not as effective as other alcohols at killing the coronavirus.
BlueWillow BIologics has stated that, in lab trials, NanoBio Protect was found to have inactivated COVID-19 virus at a rate of 99.99 percent in samples tested by British scientists. Samples came from a mixture of the antiseptic and the novel coronavirus.
Learn more about the lab trials data here.
BlueWillow Biologics will donate 40,000 bottles of NanoBio Protect to hospitals and healthcare workers around the United States.