Vienna, Austria - 21 March 2012 - Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH, a company focused on the development of innovative therapies for respiratory diseases, today announced that data from a clinical trial for the Company’s iota-carrageenan Nasal Spray will be presented at the 14th International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections (ISRVI) in Istanbul, Turkey. The nasal spray, which contains extracts from red seaweed, proved to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with early symptoms of common cold. The study was conducted by the Medical University of Vienna (MUV), Austria and was sponsored by Marinomed Biotechnologie. This clinical trial again confirmed the anti-viral effectiveness of the Company’s iota-carrageenan Nasal Spray.
The study’s aim was to investigate the effects of a nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan, a polymer derived from red seaweed that helps create a protective anti-viral barrier in the nasal cavity. A total of 203 subjects who had experienced the onset of cold symptoms within 48 hours of the study were administered either a placebo saline nasal spray or iota-carrageenan nasal spray, three times a day for a period of seven days. By keeping track of the symptoms associated with common cold and frequently analyzing nasal lavages for viruses or biomarkers, researchers were able to show that iota-carrageenan Nasal Spray successfully reduced the viral load in nasal secretions and mediated a reduction of disease duration by about two days in virus infected patients.
Dr. Andreas Grassauer, CEO of Marinomed, commented: “These results show that the statement ‘a cold comes three days, stays three days and leaves three days’ is finally outdated. By reducing the duration of the disease, iota-carrageenan-containing nasal spray is able to increase the quality of life for numerous people concerned and affected by the high incidence of this illness every year.”
MUV’s Dr. Martin Ludwig will be presenting detailed data from the study in a talk entitled “Carrageenan nasal spray against common cold, a double blind placebo controlled prospective trial”. The presentation is scheduled for Session V and will take place from 10.45 to 11.00 a.m. on Sunday, March 25th 2012.
The following study contributors are affiliated with either MUV’s Department of Otolaryngology or the E. I. S. Executive Information Service GmbH in Vienna, Austria: Martin Ludwig, Elisabeth Enzenhofer, Sven Schneider, Kurt Neumann, Wolfgang Gstöttner and Christian A. Mueller
About Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH
Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH was founded in 2006 and develops therapies against respiratory diseases based on an innovative anti-viral respiratory technology platform. The usability of this safe and effective technology has been proven by its first marketed product: an anti-viral nasal spray. The huge potential of the technology is reflected by Marinomed´s additional products concentrating on influenza, combination products for asthmatics and other high-risk patients. In addition, the Company develops a novel treatment against type I allergy and autoimmune diseases. Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH is a spin-off from the Veterinary University Vienna and is located in Vienna, Austria.
For further information, please visit the website at www.marinomed.com.