Preclinical studies suggest a drug-free nasal spray could ward off respiratory infections
www.eurekalert.org
A new study details how a nasal spray formulated by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, may work to protect against viral and bacterial respiratory infections

The spray is called “Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray” (PCANS) for now

This data suggest PCANS as a promising daily-use prophylactic against respiratory infections.

The study is paywalled, and the abstract doesn’t list its ingredients beyond

The formulation consists of excipients identified from the FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database and Generally Recognized as Safe list to maximize efficacy for each step in the multi-modal approach.

Based on that description, its ingredients might not be very different from Covixyl, though it claims to be much more effective.

Edit: Apparently its already for sale, I included some details in a comment

  • Ivysaur [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    20 hours ago

    I understand this is neat and all but the one thing I never see mentioned is how on earth I am to believe this is all going to be more accessible to the average person than a box of 400 N95s on Amazon for 100 bucks (often even cheaper and not-from-Amazon if you shop around) — or a local mask bloc helping for free.

    We already have access to all the tools and methods we need to end the pandemic right now if we really wanted to — and I genuinely mean this. China proved it. New Zealand proved it. These very same methods are likely to be far, far more accessible to most everyone than whatever hot new panacea that may or may not even come, and we won’t do them, especially not after however long it’s been now of people not giving a shit anymore. They ended all the welfare programs that benefited everyone even seeking treatment or prevention to begin with and most insurances do not cover vaccinations for Covid anymore. Why would this be any different? Will they give this to everyone for free when it’s ready and it cures/gives total immunity to Covid? In five years? Ten? They don’t do it now.

    I don’t want to disparage genuine scientific efforts, that is not my intent at all, but the excitement for things like this imo seems to stem not from a desire for accessibility or justice but from a desire for comfort and complacency — i.e. no one masks anyway, might as well do what appeals to them instead of advocate militantly for what should be done — and that just really bums me out. The people most clamoring for the magic pill or shot or spray are the ones also clamoring for 2019 the most. 2019 is dead and it is not coming back.

    • sovietknuckles [they/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      2·
      16 hours ago

      i.e. no one masks anyway, might as well do what appeals to them instead of advocate militantly for what should be done — and that just really bums me out.

      I think that’s that’s the target audience, people who can’t or won’t mask. My parents won’t mask when out of the house unless I’m there watching them, for example, and sometimes not even then. If your job won’t let you mask or makes it difficult, nasal sprays can help in that case, too.

      For maskers like myself, it’s particularly useful in airport security, where they make me take off my mask for identification, and airport terminals and airplanes, where I might want to eat but there’s a lot of other people around.