Marinomed to initiate clinical trial with Carragelose for preventing COVID19 in frontline healthcare staff

Marinomed Biotech AG, a globally operating biopharmaceutical company, announced today plans to initiate a Phase IV clinical trial with Carragelose^® (iota-carrageenan). The trial will recruit healthcare professionals, who are managing COVID-19 patients, as study population. The primary objective of the trial is to demonstrate that the prophylactic treatment reduces the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viral infections when compared to a placebo-treated control group.

The randomized double blinded trial is expected to start immediately after the approval of the ethics committee and will enrol 334 individuals. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants will use a Carragelose nasal spray (1.2 mg/ml; 140 μl per puff), marketed under the brand name Coldamaris pro in Austria, three times a day: one dose of the spray into the nostrils plus three doses into the mouth each time. Participants will be screened every week for SARS-CoV-2 and other common respiratory viral infections. Currently, the trials are planned to start at Klinik Favoriten and Klinik Floridsdorf, both based in Vienna, Austria.

Carragelose has earlier proven clinical activity towards coronavirus infections. Our scientists have shown that Carragelose is effective against SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture assays. Carragelose neutralizes the virus and can thus protect the cells from being infected, successful clinical results will show that Carragelose can help us to fight the pandemic by adding an option to a still too small toolbox against this devastating COVID-19 infection."

Dr. Eva Prieschl-Grassauer, Chief Science Officer, Marinomed

"Worldwide, we have seen many nurses and doctors suffering and even dying for their dedication to treat COVID-19 patients. Applying carrageenan to reduce or even eliminate infection among these frontline anti-pandemic workers could be a major contribution to their fitness, which is pivotal for all COVID-19 hospitalized patients," said Dr. Christoph Wenisch, head of the infectious disease unit in Vienna, Austria and Chief Investigator of this Marinomed trial. "After positive experiences with carrageenan-based treatments against a broad range of respiratory infections, we are testing Carragelose as a prophylactic measure in the COVID-19 setting. Protecting the physical health of our caregivers is a central strategy for the performance of our health systems."