By David Brummer, NoCamels -
SaNOtize CEO Dr. Gilly Regev visited Israel earlier this month as she inspected the increase in manufacturing production of her company’s antiviral nasal spray, Enovid, which clinical tests have shown to be highly effective against many viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and all its variants – even Delta.
In a sitdown interview with NoCamels, Regev, who has lived in Canada for the past 17 years, remarked that “manufacturing slowed down significantly because of the pandemic, and there hasn’t really been too much of it. There is now huge pent up demand around the world and we are increasing manufacturing in the US alone to some 250,000 units per month.”
But it isn’t only in the US where production is being ramped up, she adds. In Israel, Regev is “keen to get to high production volumes” to help meet the growing demand, particularly in Thailand, where the government is considering providing SaNOtize’s Enovid as part of its COVID public health policy.
Earlier this year, Dr. Regev told NoCamels that the spray solution has provided effective against the virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma, in lab tests conducted at Utah State University’s Antiviral Research Institute. In July, Dr. Regev said the center is finalizing its testing against the Delta variant (first detected in India last year and also known as B.1.617.2), and Dr. Regev said she expected the same results.
In August, SaNOtize inked an agreement with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, an Indian pharmaceutical company established in 1977 and headquartered in the country’s commercial capital, Mumbai, to manufacture the spray for India, Myanmar, Singapore, in fact, most of South East Asia.
Regev tells NoCamels that regulations in India are different and slightly complicate the production process. “In most countries our nasal spray is seen as a medical device whose use if for early treatment and prevention, however, in India, Enovid is seen as a drug, requiring regulatory approval. Ultimately, we need more clinical trials there.”
Originally developed to counter the flu virus, Enovid can also be used to treat chronic sinusitis. “There are lots of articles highlighting that the nasal area is also very important with regard to the spread of COVID and other airborne viruses. However, despite the product’s efficacy as a prophylactic – it has been tested as more than 99 percent successful – people still think that it’s too good to be true. Our solution is cheap, simple, and effective and there is strong evidence that by reducing the viral load, there is a correlation with a decrease in symptoms.”
Dr. Regev says that SaNOtize did not want people to just take its word at face value, so they became part of a $10 million large trial that shows that Enovid is effective against all variants including Delta – and sent the results to an external lab for independent verification.
“COVID doesn’t act exactly as other viruses – we can only do something with the data that we have at the time. This can be really challenging because the virus mutates. We could say that we want to start a trial and a month goes by until it commences, by which time the virus has inevitably changed.”
As another variant – Omicron – causes widespread panic in several countries around the world, and with various nations, including Israel, now shutting their borders to all foreign nationals for a limited period, Regev is a voice of calmness amid the chatter and noise. “We need to utilize as many tools as possible to engender a return to as normal a life as possible… however that looks.
Regev was in Israel to speak to investors, with many organizations showing interest in SaNOtize, as the pandemic remains a global issue.
One of the company’s main investors is OurCrowd, the Jerusalem-based crowdfunding platform that PitchBook named Israel’s most active VC in 2021.
“When OurCrowd originally invested in SaNOtize, it was because of its huge potential as a broad spectrum treatment for viruses, bacteria, and fungus. (I was particularly impressed by its utility in fighting toenail fungus, believe it or not.)” OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved tells NoCamels, ” When COVID hit and it became apparent that it would become a huge weapon in the arsenal to fight the pandemic.”
“That’s when I realized that this investment had the potential to be one of the most impactful deals I have ever done,” he adds. “We are working hard together with Dr. Gilly Regev and her team to build this company and thereby help literally save countless lives. For a venture investor, It doesn’t get better than that.”
Earlier this year, Enovid was granted an emergency use authorization as a medical device by Israel’s Ministry of Health and began a local production line. It has been approved for people 12 years of age and older.
“If everyone used the spray, nobody would get sick. It is an invaluable aid that can be used alongside COVID-19 vaccines,” Dr. Regev says.
Caption: Enovid is SaNOtize’s Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) that protects from viruses and was shown to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load.
Credit: Courtesy
