To prevent contagious respiratory infections, a Belgian start-up has developed a preventive spray based on the inexpensive molecule lime.
Lime is thought to be the first chemical known to man, yet it has never been of great interest to scientists. Philippe Dumont, however – a former student of Nobel Prize-winning chemist Ilya Prigogine – has focused his research on exploiting the potential properties of the calcium hydroxide molecule, i.e. hydrated lime, in a medical and pharmaceutical context.
In 2020, this Belgian scientist set up the New Lime Development company, a start-up based in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse in the Liège region, to work on his hypothesis concerning new processes for the calcination and hydration of lime.
As a result, a virucidal solution has been developed and patented for preventive and curative disinfection of nasal mucosa, the main means by which many viruses access the body. A pre-clinical trial has already been carried out on 60 patients over two years, with very encouraging results: no colds, flu or coronaviruses were observed during this period. The start-up's nasal spray creates an effective barrier against viruses that enter the nose and bind to the mucous membranes.
The product still has to go through a clinical phase before it can be marketed. It is expected to prove inexpensive and useful as a preventive spray during pandemics or epidemics, especially for more exposed individuals or those at risk.
