RAPHAEL LABS (RL) AND VINGROUP ANNOUNCE WORKING AGREEMENT TO BRING ANTI-SARS-CoV-2 NASAL SPRAY TO VIETNAM

RL has signed an MOU with Vingroup, the multi-sector conglomerate in Vietnam to advance talks on the manufacture and supply of pHOXWELL, a prophylactic nasal spray which prevents infection of SARS-CoV-2.

The MOU was signed in the presence of H.E. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Vietnam, by Mr Nguyen Viet Quang, General Director of Vingroup (front right) and RL’s Mark Pawley (front left) on the side lines of COP26 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Under the MOU both parties agree to pursue the appropriate regulatory pathway for pHOXWELL, including a possible clinical trial, local large-scale manufacture and distribution in order to offer pHOXWELL’s benefits to the Vietnamese people.

In a Ph2/3 clinical trial in India, pHOXWELL significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection by 63% with tolerability comparable to placebo in a high-risk population of healthcare workers.

RL Chairman Professor Rakesh Uppal said “It is a huge honour to be working with the prestigious Vingroup to make pHOXWELL available throughout Vietnam. Our prophylactic nasal spray offers an extra layer of protection as it complements vaccination and PPE.

pHOXWELL is also suitable for those waiting to be vaccinated or who are unable. We believe pHOXWELL will become an effective tool to help bring the pandemic under control.”

Mr Nguyen Viet Quang, Vice Chairman and CEO of Vingroup, said: “During this difficult time, Vingroup has made its best efforts to find and cooperate with our prestigious international partners in providing medicines, prophylactics and where possible to transfer technology to Vietnam. All these efforts are for an ultimate goal: to stop the pandemic. We will continue working closely with Raphael Labs in order to make the product available as soon as possible to the Vietnamese

pHOXWELL is a combination of natural virucides and its scientific platform which is designed to be mutation-agnostic against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. pHOXWELL is self-administered, offering 6-8 hours of protection with just two sprays per nostril, per application. Vaccination is essential but not 100% effective, and it is still possible to become infected by, and transmit, the virus that causes COVID-19. pHOXWELL adds an extra layer of protection as it prevents SARS-CoV-2 from infecting the nasal epithelia, the primary entry point into the body. pHOXWELL also targets other important airborne respiratory viruses.

A SARS-CoV-2 prevention claim has been filed with the Indian regulator following pHOXWELL’s successful clinical trial.

pHOXWELL is low cost, can be manufactured at large scale and easy to transport due to its room temperature storage. It is suitable for geographies where vaccination levels remain inadequate and PPE scarce.

RL is a cutting-edge BioTechnology firm founded in Ireland with a significant UK operation, developing breakthrough science to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and other important airborne respiratory viruses

About Vingroup

As the largest private conglomerate in Vietnam, Vingroup is currently doing business in three core sectors namely technology, industry and services. In all sectors it has participated in, Vingroup is always a pioneer that leads market trends and creates world-class products and services of Vietnam. Find out more at: https://www.vingroup.net/en