UCSF scientists develop nasal spray that could provide coronavirus protection

UCSF scientists have developed a nasal spray that they say could provide protection against the coronavirus.

The spray is called AeroNabs and and it's self-administered by a nasal spray or inhaler once a day, the university said.

Researchers say it can provide powerful protection until a vaccine becomes available.

The research team is in talks with commercial partners to ramp up manufacturing and clinical testing.

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AeroNabs nasal spray via UCSF

Scientists are hoping to make AeroNabs widely available as an inexpensive, over-the-counter medication to prevent or treat COVID-19.

“Far more effective than wearable forms of personal protective equipment, we think of AeroNabs as a molecular form of PPE that could serve as an important stopgap until vaccines provide a more permanent solution to COVID-19,” said AeroNabs co-inventor Peter Walter, a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UCSF and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

For those who cannot access or don’t respond to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, Walter added, AeroNabs could be a more permanent line of defense against COVID-19.