Thailand To Launch Nasal Spray to Prevent COVID-19

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, March 7 (Bernama) -- A Thai-developed nasal spray to help prevent COVID-19 is expected to be launched in third quarter this year. Foreign Affairs Ministry's deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun said Chulalongkorn University, Silpakorn University, Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) and a private bioscience company have been working together to develop the spray. He said the research and development (R&D) of the spray started since the onset of the pandemic two years ago with funding from the business sector and the state-run HSRI. The research has advanced to the point where a prototype antibody has been obtained and subsequently patented. “Now, the technology has been transferred to private sector. A clinical research has been conducted to meet the standards needed for registration with the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June. “The spray is expected to be available for sale in the third quarter of this year,” he said at COVID-19 daily briefing here Monday. Natapnu said a collaboration agreement has been inked to manufacture the anti-COVID-19 nasal spray and it could be subjected for global research. Last week, deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said more than 20 COVID-19 vaccines have been researched and developed by state agencies, universities and companies from the start of the pandemic. She said four locally developed COVID-19 vaccines and antibody-packed nasal spray would be registered with Thailand’s FDA soon. -- BERNAMA