A company co-founded by an Israeli has come up with a nasal spray that has been shown to be highly effective at killing coronavirus in the upper airways, before the infection can spread to the rest of the body.

The Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray, developed by Canadian company SaNOtize, proved 99.9 per cent effective in independent lab tests in the US, at Utah State University’s Antiviral Research Institute. It is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials throughout Canada.

UK trials of the spray will begin on January 11 at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey.

SaNOtize was co-founded by Canada-based Israeli Dr Gilly Regev, now the CEO of the company. Dr Regev was raised in Israel and has a PhD in Biochemistry from the Hebrew University.

She recently told Times of Israel: “We know that infection starts in the nasal passages – that’s where the virus enters the body. It multiplies there. If we kill it when it enters the body, we will not get sick.”

Pankaj Sharma, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Research at Royal Holloway, University of London, commented: “The fact that a relatively easy and simple nasal spray could be an effective treatment is welcome news and offers a significant advance in our therapeutic armoury against this devastating disease.

“Ashford and St Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proud to be at the forefront of trialling this intervention.”