Nasal spray can reduce COVID-19 growth by up to 96%: Study

New Delhi, Sep 28: Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory has said a nasal spray that it is developing to improve human immune system to fight common cold and flu significantly reduced coronavirus growth in a recent study on animals.

INNA-051 reduced COVID-19 viral replication by up to 96 per cent in ferrets, the company said.

The study was led by British government agency Public Health England.

The study on ferrets showed the product dubbed INNA-051, which could be used complementary to vaccines, lowered the levels of the virus that causes coronavirus. the company said.

Notably, the company has raised $8.24 million for the development of the spray.

Investors include venture capital firm Brandon Capital Ltd, the Australian federal government, pension funds and biotech giant CSL Ltd.

Several companies across the world are in the pursuit of developing a coronavirus vaccine.

The countries are in hope to develop a vaccine but there seem some obstacles in its way.

As vaccine developing usually takes 10years on average, specialists say, developing vaccines in hurry make it more worse.

Time taken to develop notable vaccines:

Average vaccine develpoment 10.7 years

Polio (1948-1955)- 7 years
Measles (1954-1963)- 9 years
Chickenpox (1954-1988)- 34 years
Mumps (1963-1967)- 4 years
HPV (1991-2006)- 15 years
HIV (1983) 37 years and counting

Australia has entered into agreements with some drug companies investing billions to secure potential vaccines for COVID-19, which has killed over 9,92,000 people worldwide.