In a major development for its VIRALEZE™ antiviral nasal spray, Australia-based Starpharma has announced that its potent antiviral agent, SPL7013, achieved the maximum possible virucidal effect against the highly transmissible Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.

This new data is consistent with previously reported data conducted at The Scripps Research Institute in the United States, where SPL7013 has now been shown to be highly active against all nine SARS-CoV-2 variants tested – including more than 99.5% reduction of infectious virus in the Omicron variant.

Internationally recognised virologist, Professor Philippe Gallay, at The Scripps Research Institute, said SPL7013 performed even better in blocking the more infectious Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 than early variants such as Delta. 

In the antiviral assays, SPL7013 was approximately 30 times more potent than iota-carrageenan against the Omicron variant, which is currently in multiple marketed nasal sprays, and 70 times more potent than heparin, which is currently being contemplated as a nasal spray.