A novel antiviral formulation containing caprylic acid inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of a human bronchial epithelial cell model

A novel proprietary formulation, ViruSAL, has previously been demonstrated to inhibit diverse enveloped viral infections in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the ability of ViruSAL to inhibit SARS- CoV- 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) infectivity, using physiologically relevant models of the human bronchial epithelium, to model early infection of the upper respiratory tract. ViruSAL potently inhibited SARS- CoV- 2 infection of human bronchial epithelial cells cultured as an air-liquid interface (ALI) model, in a concentration-and time-dependent manner. Viral infection was completely inhibited when ViruSAL was added to bronchial airway models prior to infection. Importantly, ViruSAL also inhibited viral infection when added to ALI models post-infection. No evidence of cellular toxicity was detected in ViruSAL-treated cells at concentrations that completely abrogated viral infectivity. Moreover, intranasal instillation of ViruSAL to a rat model did not result in any toxicity or pathological changes. Together these findings highlight the potential for ViruSAL as a novel and potent antiviral for use within clinical and prophylactic settings.

Automated summary

ViruSAL, a novel proprietary formulation, has been shown to effectively inhibit diverse enveloped viral infections in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we evaluated the ability of ViruSAL to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infectivity using physiologically relevant models of the human bronchial epithelium. Our results demonstrated that ViruSAL potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in bronchial airway models. Importantly, ViruSAL also showed inhibitory effects on viral infection when added post-infection, without causing cellular toxicity. Additionally, intranasal instillation of ViruSAL in a rat model did not lead to any toxicity or pathological changes.