Researchers at IrsiCaixa, a centre promoted by the ”la Caixa” Foundation and the Catalan Ministry of Health, and the Dentaid Research Centre have discovered that cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) can make COVID-19 up to 1,000 times less infectious. CPC is a chemical component of some mouthwashes.
So far, the antiviral effect has been proven in preclinical studies: the membrane becomes unstable in contact with CPC so the S protein is no longer functional and SARS-CoV-2 can no longer infect new cells. A clinical trial to prove its efficacy in humans will begin soon, led by the Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation (FLS).
“The results so far are promising. The fact that a CPC mouthwash is so powerful in reducing the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 is good news, as it would help slow the transmission of the virus between people,” notes IrsiCaixa Director Bonaventura Clotet.
Joan Gispert, director of R&D at Dentaid, a CataloniaBio & HealthTech member, notes that “the oral cavity plays a key role in the spread of Covid-19. The virus is found in saliva and, although there is still a lot of work to be done, some mouthwashes could potentially be a tool to prevent it.”
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