An exciting development in COVID-19 prevention science has emerged from India, where a new nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) product significantly reduced the viral load of high risk adults by 94% within 24 hours and 99% within 48 hours. Glenmark, a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company, conducted the research study during the Delta and Omicron surge and saw promising results with both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations over a seven-day treatment period. The nitric oxide works by blocking entry into the nasal passage, which “kills the virus and stops its replication.” Furthermore, the nasal spray has now been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for an accelerated production process.

As scientists all over the world work diligently to develop advanced COVID-19 prevention measures to outpace the growth of new variants, this product brings hope that the fight against the virus is not over. So far, it has been proven that increasing air ventilation, fully funding mass vaccination programs, and providing high quality PPE are all effective tools in slowing down the spread and mutation of COVID-19. Now, we can add a nifty nasal spray to that set of tools. As Monika Tandon, the Senior VP & Head of Glenmark’s Clinical Development team remarks, “this therapy has the potential to make a crucial contribution to COVID-19 management, with its ease of use in the current highly transmissible phase of pandemic.”