Effectiveness proven in study, also against scarlet pathogen and coronaviruses
Hennigsdorf b. Berlin, 15 February 2022 – In a complex biotechnological process, BELANO medical AG identified and harnessed another natural agent for use against a harmful bacterium. More specifically, this concerns Streptococcus pyogenes, a bacterium in the genus Streptococcus which is the cause of most bacterial throat inflammations and also considered to be that of scarlet fever. Estimates suggest that every year, more than 600 million people globally suffer from a throat infection (pharyngitis) caused by S. pyogenes. Furthermore, there are least 517,000 fatalities annually as a result of invasive infections and secondary diseases.
“What makes this microbial agent special is that it is both antiviral and antibacterial and hence effective against specific viruses which transmit colds”, emphasizes Professor Dr. Christine Lang, CSO and head of R&D at BELANO medical.
Study demonstrates antiviral properties
The novel agent is based on a strain of lactic acid bacteria designated Lactobacillus crispatus DSM25988. In a patented laboratory process, BELANO medical’s researchers identified the strain and its ideal capabilities from among several hundred strains of lactic acid bacteria. By binding to pathogen and masking its surface, the lactic acid bacterium stops S. pyogenes from attaching itself to human mucosal or epithelial cells.
Proof of the antiviral properties of Lactobacillus crispatus DSM25988 came with help of an in-vitro cell model. Here, the example of SARS-CoV2 proteins (Covid or Corona spike proteins) demonstrated that L. crispatus successfully prevents viral colonization of epithelial cells.
The lactobacillus strain was incorporated into a medical product – a throat lozenge – which is distributed under the name of salvans®. Salvans lozenges were successfully tested in a clinical study with 44 participants which had suffered from sore throats for up to 14 days. “We were able to observe that the typical symptoms of a sore throat, e.g. hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing, or scratchy throat, were significantly reduced”, says Christine Lang.
The study and details on the practical application of the in-viro and in-vivo tests were peer reviewed by the scientific magazine “Beneficial Microbes” and published in February at https://doi.org/10.3920/BM2021.0103.