Canadian biotech company SaNOtize Research & Development Corp has announced that it has received interim approval to sell its Nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS), which protects users from viruses that enter the body through the upper nasal pathways, to the public in pharmacies in Israel, and has been registered to begin sales of NONS in New Zealand.

Manufacturing of NONS, under the brand name Enovid™, has begun in Israel with SaNOtize’s manufacturing partner Ness Ziona-based Nextar Chempharma Solutions Ltd. Enovid is expected to appear on pharmacy shelves in Israel by the summer.

In New Zealand, SaNOtize has registered its nasal spray with the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, which permits the company to distribute and sell NONS over the counter immediately.

Last week, SaNOtize and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, UK announced results of clinical trials indicating that NONS represents a safe and effective antiviral treatment that could prevent the transmission of COVID-19, shorten its course, and reduce the severity of symptoms and damage in those already infected. The study has been submitted to a leading medical journal for review and publication.