A new drug to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is now available in Spain. It is about ‘Taffix’, a powdered nasal spray that has been developed by the biopharmaceutical company Nasus Pharma. This drug, which can be found in pharmacies in our country, blocks the entry into the nasal cavity of up to 99.99% of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, as noted by Nasus Pharma.
This aerosol has the ability to offer protection for a maximum time of five hours. The Europa Press agency details that, specifically, the drug reduced the risk of contagion by coronavirus by 78% in the human trial, that involved a high spread event.
This drug, which does not require a prescription to purchase, can also be found on online sales sites such as Amazon, which offers a pack of four units of this product at a price of 56.30 euros.
Extra layer of protection
“Taffix is not a substitute for face masks, it is an additional layer of protection”explains Nasus Pharma co-founder and CEO, Dr. Dalia Meggido. “Masks help prevent infection, but they don’t offer 100 percent protection, so ‘Taffix’ provides an extra layer of protection, which is particularly useful in high-risk environments such as public transport, shops, concerts, and closed spaces in general “, adds the top management of the biopharmaceutical company.
This company also details that the drug does not cause congestion and the protective gel is “so discreet that menthol has been added to let users know that the dose has been delivered and the protective coating is well applied.”
It is a drug that, in the opinion of Nasus Pharma, will help fight COVID-19 infections while achieving the goal of herd immunity through the vaccination process. This was confirmed by human trials in Israel, where the biopharmaceutical company is based.
High efficacy in trials
A total of 243 members of a high-risk community in Israel received ‘Taffix’ and were asked to use it, according to the instructions and together with the masks, during the two days in which a celebrations of this country take place in September, as well as the next 14 days. Total, 81 people used it regularly, as requested, 160 chose not to use the spray and two used it intermittently, as Europa Press reports.
After two weeks, only 2.4% of users of this drug had been infected with COVID-19, compared with 10% of those who had not used the spray, a 7% reduction. During the same period, the infection rate in the Israeli city where the study was conducted increased by 60% and, in addition, no side effects were reported.