Lozenges
containing both Benzydamine Hydrochloride (BH) and Cetylpyridinium Chloride
(CPC) found efficacious in COVID-caused sore throat
OTC
throat lozenges may be effective against COVID-19
We know your over-the-counter throat lozenge can relieve a sore throat and can help manage a pesky cold or cough. But can they take the wind out of the sails of the dreaded Covid-19 virus?
The
question got a fresh look recently after researchers at Microbiology and
Immunology Institute of the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, found
that throat lozenges containing a combination of Benzydamine
Hydrochloride (BH) and Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) may have a virucidal
effect against Covid-19 and help reduce the risk of viral transmission.
Virus-killing
Action against SARS-CoV-2
The
preliminary findings, based on testing in a defined and controlled laboratory
environment designed to mimic the conditions of the oral cavity, found that all
three test settings showed strong virucidal (virus killing) activity against
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection.
In
fact, the throat lozenge test products in a high concentration were the fastest
at destroying the virus, reducing the viral concentration by 99.99% in as fast
as 1 (one) minute. This also suggests the possibility of reducing the amount of
virus in the oral cavity as well as reducing the risk of viral transmission.
Encouraging
step in fight against Covid-19
While
it’s important to note that the study is yet to be peer-reviewed, with economic
activities opening up and the country on Alert Level 1, these results are
extremely encouraging and a positive step in finding ways to manage the spread
of COVID-19; especially through a simple and effective method such as using widely
available medicated sore throat lozenges.
Getting
Vaccinated with Booster shot, and the observance of standard health protocols
such as proper handwashing, physical distancing and mask-wearing are the
current mainstays for the reduction of virus spread. However, Benzydamine HCl and
Cetylpyridinium Cl containing throat lozenges could prove to be another
valuable tool.
*The
results of this study were first published by Andrej Steyer, Misa Marusic,
Marko Kolenc, Tina Triglav from the Faculty of Medicine, Institute of
Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the article
“A throat lozenge with fixed combination of cetylpyridinium chloride and
benzydamine hydrochloride has direct virucidal effect on SARS-CoV-2”, COVID,
2021;1(2):435-446 (Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/Covid1020037) which
has since been republished with permission in the Romanian Journal of
Pharmaceutical Practice (Sarafoleanu C et al, 2021).
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