Biotech firm obtains certification for new medication

Vienna-based company Marinomed Biotech has announced it has secured EU-wide certification for a new product: a nasal spray that allows the decongestion of the nasal cavity without employing a pharmaceutical ingredient and tackles viral infections of the airways at the same time. The groundbreaking combination is based on a formulation for which Marinomed has submitted a patent application. This would allow the company to use its patented agent Carragelose, which targets cold viruses, in such a combination.

"With this certification our new product is marketable throughout the EU," explained Dr. Eva Prieschl-Grassauer, Marinomed's founder. "This year we will launch the product in Austria  under the brand name Coldamaris akut ­and in Switzerland." As a result, Marinomed is set to further expand its product range, which currently comprises of five different products including nasal, throat sprays and lozenges, available in over 30 countries.

All Marinomed products launched to date are effective against cold viruses. Their efficacy is based on Carragelose, a polymer derived from red seaweed with a special, clinically proven, efficacy against viral respiratory infections. Carragelose traps cold viruses, stopping them from infecting mucousal cells. The polymer also soothes and moistens the mucosa.

A new formulation has been developed in Marinomed's laboratories in order to optimise the efficacy of Carragelose with the addition of a decongestant effect based on increased osmolality. Instead of sodium chloride (NaCl), which also has an osmotic effect, a new formulation is used to retain the activity of Carragelose against viruses infecting the respiratory tract. Certification of the newly developed, innovative product for sale in the EU reaffirms Marinomed's strategy of continuous product development.

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