With respiratory illnesses again on teh rise globally, scientists are exploring innovative approaches to combat viruses like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna are developing a novel antiviral spray designed not just to block infection, but to actively destroy respiratory viruses at their source. The spray utilizes a compound derived from resveratrol, found in red grapes, but engineered for increased potency, and early lab tests show promising results [[1]].
Gesundheit
As respiratory illnesses like the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 surge this fall and winter, researchers are working on a novel spray designed to combat these viruses at their source.
A team of scientists from the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna is investigating a spray utilizing a compound called resveratrol, also found naturally in red grapes as a defense against infection. Researchers have synthesized a new substance modeled after resveratrol, aiming for a more potent antiviral effect. “The interesting thing for us was to synthesize compounds that are much, much stronger than resveratrol,” explained Walter Jäger of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Vienna. Lab tests have confirmed this increased potency.
Existing Sprays Only Stop, Don’t Fight, Viruses
Unlike current protective sprays that primarily block viral entry, this new substance actively combats and destroys a range of respiratory viruses, including RSV, influenza, and COVID-19, according to Christoph Steininger of the Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Virology at the Medical University of Vienna. “What is special about this new substance is that it is effective against a very large number of viruses – RSV, influenza, Covid.”
Walter Jäger added, “The idea would be a drug that I can use as a nasal spray or – even better – inhale.” Currently, the research is limited to animal studies, but all patents have been filed.
Development Costs Estimated in the Hundreds of Millions
The total development cost, including crucial clinical trials, is estimated to reach up to €200 million (approximately $215 million USD), Steininger noted. “At some point, which is getting closer and closer, we simply need strategic partners and investors on the one hand. I mean primarily pharmaceutical companies that invest not only money, but also know-how and infrastructure, so that you can then develop an effective drug from the substance.” The new antiviral inhalation spray could potentially be available on the market within five to ten years. This research represents a significant step toward more effective treatments for common respiratory infections, which pose a substantial public health burden each year.
