Biotech Startup Discovers Novel Hand Sanitizer for COVID-19, Offering Long-lasting 4+ Hours of Protection

SAN CARLOS, Calif., July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CAGE Bio Inc., today announced discovery of a novel hand sanitizer that offers long-lasting protection from coronavirus and other harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi.  It kills germs on contact and, unlike common hand sanitizers, provides protection against their transmission for more than four hours after applying to skin.

CAGE Bio, which researches and develops ionic liquids for dermatology, inflammation and immunology, said that this innovation is a new class of hand sanitizers for a new threat.  Its discovery contains ethyl alcohol to remove gross contamination and a proprietary ionic liquid technology that preserves an elevated state of hand protection for many hours. 

Called IonLAST™, CAGE Bio's patent-pending, four-plus hour protectant against harmful microbes is far superior to common alcohol-based sanitizers, which haven't changed in decades and are typically effective for only a few minutes.  Using CAGE Bio's ionic liquid technology, IonLAST forms a protective shield that lasts for several hours and provides protection that does not evaporate away. 

"Long-lasting protection against the transmission of dangerous pathogens via hands will be helpful in many environments including nursing homes, restaurants, grocery stores, gyms and office workplaces.  Long-lasting protection will play an important role in helping Americans get back to their lives, workplaces and routine activities as the country continues to reopen," said Nitin Joshi, chief executive officer, CAGE Bio.  "The average person touches their face 16 to 23 times every hour, often risking exposure to pathogens.  While washing hands and following CDC prevention guidelines continues to be important, applying IonLAST after each washing or between washings is easy and delivers confidence by minimizing the risk of viral and bacterial transmission."

Prof. Samir Mitragotri, innovator of the ionic liquid technology, said, "Ionic liquids are particularly good at providing long-lasting protection. They are effective in killing a wide range of pathogens, and unlike conventional ethanol-based sanitizers, they don't simply evaporate away."  Mitragotri is Hiller professor of Bioengineering and Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences at Harvard University and Wyss Institute. 

CAGE Bio created its proprietary formulation in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic.  Following the initial discovery in CAGE Bio's lab, Joshi and his team validated the technology in an independent lab for killing viruses and providing duration protection in human volunteers.  Clinical testing was conducted at BioScience Laboratories, Inc., in Bozeman, Mont. 

Recently completed in-vitro GLP study results showed that IonLAST killed human coronavirus (hCoV229E) and generated a >40,000-fold reduction (≥ 99.99% reduction) in viral titers following 15-second exposure. Furthermore, an IRB-approved human study established the persistent antibacterial efficacy of IonLAST against Staphylococcus aureus with a remarkable >50,000-fold reduction (log₁₀ reduction ≥5.15) from the control following 30-minute, two-hour and four-hour post-product applications.  Results from CAGE Bio's testing have been submitted for publication in bioRxiv.   

IonLAST is manufactured using well established and commonly available naturally occurring compounds. The ionic liquid used in the formulation consists of natural compounds that are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) materials, which makes IonLAST safe and skin-friendly.  Unlike common alcohol-only hand sanitizers, the extremely low volatility of this ionic liquid guards against rapid evaporation and allows IonLAST to remain on the skin to protect it for extended periods. 

Joshi said a manufacturer in California is in the process of a pilot production run of IonLAST.  "We are moving quickly to ramp up manufacturing and distribution and are speaking with a number of potential partners to bring this novel innovation to US consumers to maximize public benefit, combating the pandemic," Joshi said. 

About CAGE Bio
CAGE Bio Inc., based in San Carlos, Calif., and Fort Worth, TX, is a privately-held clinical stage company exploiting its proprietary deep eutectic ionic liquid platform to develop novel products for dermatology, inflammation and immunology.  It is led by a strong team with deep domain expertise and prior track record of successful product development and value creation. 

IonLAST is a registered trademark of CAGE Bio Inc.

SOURCE CAGE Bio Inc.