UCSF scientists develop nasal spray that could provide coronavirus protection

SAN FRANCISCO - 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.

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.