Israeli start-up announces breakthrough in Covid-19 treatment using formula of natural compounds
A new Covid-19 treatment developed by an Israeli start-up and tested by scientists could cure people with the Covid-19 virus.
The treatment, developed by Tel Aviv-based Novel Concepts Medical, is a combination of natural compounds and was proven in lab results to show a significant decrease in the amount of the Covid-19 spike protein, (the protein which connects the virus to the cell), within a few hours of incubation.
Dr. Rachel R. Alkalay, company founder and serial entrepreneur and PhD graduate of Queen Mary University London, said that she was delighted with the implications of the results.
“The spike protein is the part in the virus that connects the virus to the cell. All the research in the world is focused on this spike protein. We managed to decompose it. Essentially, this is the equivalent of taking the fuel out of a car.
“Our invention is safe to use because we are repurposing compounds that have already been tested on millions of people safely for other purposes. Our findings show that it is very possible to have an immediate effect in inhibiting the virus in people who have been exposed.”
“WHO chief scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, acknowledged on December 28 that it has not yet been established that any of the proposed vaccines offer protection from the virus. And since any immunity conferred may not be as long-lasting as hoped, our formula is a cost-effective treatment which we can potentially offer as an important part of the solution.”
The Novel Concepts Medical formula was tested at the renowned Smart Assays Lab in the Weizmann Science Park run by founder Dr Raphael Mayer.
Dr Celeste Weiss-Katz, an expert in proteins at Tel Aviv University, confirmed that the lab reports demonstrated that the formula decomposed the Covid-19 spike proteins.
“It is clear to see from the Lab results that the Novel Concepts Medical formula causes a significant reduction in the S1 and S2 Proteins,” she said.
“It has been a challenging but exciting journey to get this far,” said Alkalay. “We have encountered some resistance to the formula incorporating only natural compounds but the lab results speak for themselves and we are happy to be able to publish and share them in full. We are now looking for collaboration with hospitals to roll out clinical trials.”
Novel Concepts Medical is approved to start clinical trials in early 2021 of another patented treatment in the Oncology department at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre (part of the Ichilov hospital), following significant success with randomized case studies with Basal Cell Carcinoma.
