£1.5 million investment brings Bristol Uni spin-out Halo Therapeutics' first antiviral spray into clinic
Clinical trials of a home treatment for Covid are underway following a £1.5 million investment into Bristol University spin-out Halo Therapeutics.
The company, now based in Wales, has received funding from the Development Bank of Wales alongside Science Angel Syndicate members and the KBA Group.
Based on world-class research carried out at Bristol, Halo Therapeutics was established as a spin-out company in 2020 by CEO Dr Daniel Fitzgerald, professor Christiane Schaffitzel, and professor Imre Berger.
Read more: British biotech pioneers ground-breaking potential treatments for Covid-19
The scientists discovered that exposing the coronavirus virus to a free fatty acid called linoleic acid locks the virus’s spike protein into a closed, non-infective form stopping it in its tracks.
This first-in-human study of Halo Therapeutic’s respiratory antiviral spray for coronaviruses will investigate the safety and tolerability of the treatment prior to subsequent studies being conducted in patients that are Covid positive or are at risk of becoming Covid positive.
Imre Berger, professor of biochemistry at the University of Bristol and chief scientific officer at Halo Therapeutics, said: “Vaccination and treatments have reduced the impact of the virus but it is still a significant health risk.
"Our self-administered and cost-effective antiviral treatment stops the virus from entering and multiplying in the nasal epithelial cells, where it can then spread to the throat and then into the lungs.
"It is a potential game-changer in the treatment and prevention of coronaviruses, particularly with the emergence of new viruses."
