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Starpharma may be one to watch

An ASX company that already has a product in the market to combat infectious diseases is Starpharma (ASX:SPL).

The company’s flagship is Viraleze, a nasal spray that contains an antimicrobial/anti-infective polylysine dendrimer called SPL7013, which was developed in-house.

Once applied, Viraleze forms a protective mucoadhesive barrier in the nose where most cold and respiratory viruses first take hold.

SPL7013 in Viraleze then fortifies the barrier between the viral particles and the nasal cell membrane, effectively trapping viruses and blocking them from infecting the human cells.

SPL7013 has been shown in laboratory studies to be effective against a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses, including Delta and Omicron, as well as influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, SARS and MERS viruses, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The active ingredient’s mechanism is rapid, achieving more than 99.9% reduction of viral load within a minute of contact.

Starpharma CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, explains that an intervention such as Viraleze is important for stopping a virus at the beginning of infection, in the nose, so the virus can’t take hold or migrate to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, and cause people to get sick.

“Viraleze sprayed in the nose thus has the potential to reduce infections and community transmission of a wide range of viruses, including those responsible for recent pandemics,” Fairley told *.

Ready for the next pandemic

COVID-19 is not the first pandemic the world has faced, and it won’t be the last. Indeed, you could say that we are now “between pandemics”.

According to Fairley, antiviral measures such as Viraleze will remain important for as long as people continue to contract viral respiratory infections, whether it be a cold, seasonal flu, or a future pandemic virus.

Starpharma’s CEO, Dr. Jackie Fairley

“A key advantage of Viraleze nasal spray is its broad-spectrum antiviral activity, which makes it a promising tool for pandemic preparedness strategies that account for the emergence of as-yet-unknown viruses,” she said.

In addition to being an everyday product for colds or flu, Viraleze also represents an important tool for patients who are immuno-compromised and don’t effectively respond to vaccines.

“We know that such patients and medical professionals seek access to preventative measures beyond those that are currently available.”

Starpharma has registrations for Viraleze covering more than 35 countries, including Europe, the UK, and several Asian countries. The company has recently secured a regulatory approval in Malaysia.

“Starpharma’s strategy for Viraleze is to focus on commercially attractive consumer markets and countries with rapid regulatory pathways,” said Fairley.

The company has already attracted partnerships with three of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies – AstraZeneca, MSD and Genentech.

In addition to Viraeleze, Starpharma also has several oncology drugs under development and multiple other products in the market.

“We’re well-funded to advance our product development pipeline, with a number of key milestones on the horizon,” said Fairley.

“These include upcoming development milestones with partners, results from multiple oncology trials, and expanded commercial markets for Viraleze.