NanoBio® Protect Over-The-Counter Nasal Antiseptic Kills COVID-19 Virus in Lab Tests

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueWillow Biologics^® today announced that laboratory studies conducted by Public Health England (PHE) demonstrate NanoBio® Protect's ability to kill COVID-19 virus in lab tests. NanoBio® Protect is an alcohol-free, over-the-counter (OTC) nasal antiseptic that is used to kill germs on the skin and is easy to apply with a standard cotton swab. NanoBio^® Protect is currently available for purchase without a prescription via BlueWillow's website and will soon be available on Amazon.

In recent weeks as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, BlueWillow quickly partnered with PHE to study NanoBio^® Protect's anti-viral activity versus COVID-19. NanoBio® Protect has previously demonstrated broad-spectrum anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity in laboratory tests, including inactivation of enveloped viruses. Because COVID-19 can cause serious and potentially lethal disease, tests with this virus were conducted in Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facilities at the PHE laboratories. The product has not been clinically tested in humans to confirm protection against COVID-19 infection.

NanoBio^® Protect was tested against COVID-19 by mixing the virus with the product. Samples were taken at five, 20, and 30 minutes and plated for viral counts. After five to seven days, the plates were fixed and stained, and the plaques were counted. The results were conclusive – NanoBio^® Protect killed the COVID-19 virus at every time point. Any remaining virus was below the level of detection in all samples, representing more than 99.99% killing and demonstrating how effective NanoBio^® Protect is at inactivating COVID-19.

PHE and BlueWillow were already working together with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an intranasal NanoVax anthrax vaccine currently in Phase 1 human studies. When the COVID-19 outbreak began to spread, BlueWillow reached out to its partner PHE regarding the desire to test NanoBio^® Protect against COVID-19. 

"Our ongoing partnership with PHE enabled us to move quickly and confirm that NanoBio^® Protect is effective in killing COVID-19 in vitro, which is consistent with what we have observed with every bacteria and enveloped virus we've tested to date," said Dave Peralta, CEO of BlueWillow Biologics. "These results are encouraging and suggest that this product may be an important additive measure to hand washing and social distancing, in an effort to help reduce the risk of infection in healthcare workers and others on the front lines of this outbreak."

BlueWillow is committed to helping protect front-line workers during this outbreak and is donating $1 million worth of NanoBio® Protect, representing 40,000 bottles, to hospitals and healthcare workers throughout the country with an immediate focus on the hardest hit areas. For information about the donation program, please email: [email protected].

About NanoBio® Protect
NanoBio® Protect is an OTC alcohol-free, nasal antiseptic that kills 99.99% of germs in lab tests. Its effectiveness is derived from BlueWillow's patented nanotechnology platform, which enhances activity and enables long-lasting effectiveness on skin. The product has not been clinically tested in humans to confirm protection against COVID-19 infection. NanoBio® Protect will be available for purchase in individual bottles on Amazon or in cases of 36 bottles on the company's website at www.bluewillow.com. Each bottle costs $24.95 and provides at least 40 treatments.

About Public Health England
PHE exists to protect and improve the nation's health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-leading science, research, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships, and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. It provides government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry, and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific, and delivery expertise and support.

From its world class centers, PHE is at the forefront of scientific activity to understand, control, and eliminate the SARS-COV-2 virus. Experts at PHE Porton Down have brought their expertise in infectious disease microbiology and pre-clinical science to work with numerous international government, commercial, and third-sector partners for many years. For further information visit www.phe.gov.uk.

About BlueWillow
BlueWillow Biologics^® is a clinical-stage, privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing topical antiseptic and anti-infective products and intranasal vaccines using its patented nanotechnology platform. The platform employs novel oil-in-water nano-droplets for products administered to the skin and nose.

In addition to NanoBio® Protect, BlueWillow is currently developing intranasal vaccines that elicit both systemic and mucosal immunity for several respiratory and sexually transmitted infections, including RSV, HSV2, pandemic influenza, and anthrax, as well as intranasal immunotherapy for peanut allergy and other allergic conditions. Visit BlueWillow.com for details on the company's pipeline and studies completed to date.

SOURCE BlueWillow Biologics