Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH today announced that new clinical data confirmed the effectiveness of a Carragelose®-based nasal spray in the therapy of common cold. The data, generated in collaboration with researchers from the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical University of Vienna, were published in the international medical journal Respiratory Research. Regular use of the innovative product, which for the first time addresses the causes of common cold through its antiviral activity, significantly reduces the duration of common cold symptoms and leads to a significant decrease in the viral load in the nasal wash of patients.

In a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial 211 patients suffering from early symptoms of the were treated. Each patient received either an antiviral or placebo three times per day and the progress of the disease was observed for 21 days. In virus-infected patients, who had received the Carragelose® nasal spray, alleviation of symptoms was significantly faster compared to the control group. The difference between the groups amounted to 2.1 days on average. This positive result is supported by significantly faster clearing of viruses in the Carragelose® nasal spray group.

Dr. Andreas Grassauer, CEO and co-founder of Marinomed, commented: "We are delighted about this evidence derived from such a comprehensive study, confirming the clinical effectiveness of our unique product. The generated results support the marketing of our product portfolio and thus set a further economic milestone for our company. In addition, the data contribute to the development of further therapies in the field of respiratory viral infections."

Marinomed's antiviral nasal spray using Carragelose creates a protective layer preventing viruses from entering the and is the first product effective against a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses worldwide. The nasal spray is currently marketed in Austria and 15 other countries worldwide.

More information: The paper entitled "Efficacy of a Carrageenan nasal spray in patients with common cold: a randomized controlled trial" by Martin Ludwig, Elisabeth Enzenhofer, Sven Schneider, Margit Rauch, Angelika Bodenteich, Kurt Neumann, Eva Prieschl-Grassauer, Andreas Grassauer, Thomas Lion und Christian A. Mueller has been published on November 13th 2013 in Respiratory Research, Volume 14:124.

Journal information: Respiratory Research

Provided by Marinomed Biotechnologie GmbH