Washington: A US pharma company has successfully tested a Food and Drug Administration-approved over the counter ointment as the first line of defence against the deadly coronavirus that has so far killed over eight lakh people globally.

Scientists associated with the project said the FDA-registered non-prescription over the counter (OTC) ointment has been proven to prevent, treat and kill viral infections including coronavirus.

As per the lab report states, no infectious virus was detected after 30 seconds of T3X treatment, the pharma company said in a statement.

This is a big deal. It is the type of protection a lot of people have been hoping for and could be a first line of defence against the COVID virus. It is a powerful and effective layer of prevention, Huber said.

He was speaking after the company released the results of an independent laboratory evaluation of a topical medical formulation that mitigates coronavirus from entering the body through the nasal passages, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of people becoming infected with the virus.

A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) concluded that people contract COVID-19 and other viruses primarily through the nose. However, virus may still enter a body through the mouth and the eyes.

T3X is an FDA registered, over-the-counter formulation, which means that no prescription is needed. It is easy to use and can be self-administered without the assistance of medical personnel or technicians, the company said.

The research concludes that APT T3X effectively neutralises viral infectivity within seconds. The anti-viral efficacy supports the topical intranasal use of APT T3X to decrease the viral load of exposure.

Under the conditions tested, APT T3X displays a 99.9% virucidal activity against human coronavirus NL63, the company said.

The testing was performed over two months, in May and June. All definitive anti-viral assays were performed in triplicate, it said.

The product was initially developed eight years ago for resistant-bacterial infections, but its formulation additionally provides powerful anti-fungal and anti-viral therapies. It has no documented side effects. However, patients diagnosed with Lyme disease should be aware of a potential Herx reaction shortly after use, the company said.

A total of 22,864,873 people have contracted coronavirus globally so far, according to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID resource centre.

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US FDA-approved ointment found to treat, kill viral infections including Covid-19 - ETHealthworld.com