A common hay fever nasal spray was found to cut COVID-19 infections by two-thirds in a clinical trial, while also reducing rhinovirus cases. Researchers believe it could serve as an easy, low-cost preventive measure, pending further studies.
FULL STORY
An allergy nasal spray dramatically reduced COVID-19 and cold infections in a trial, raising hopes for a simple new preventive tool. Credit: Shutterstock
The trial, led by Professor Robert Bals, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine V at Saarland University Medical Center and Professor of Internal Medicine at Saarland University, divided the 450 participants into two groups. The treatment group of 227 individuals used an azelastine nasal spray three times a day over a 56-day period. During that same period, the 223 participants in the control group used a placebo spray three times a day. Robert Bals summarized the key finding as follows: 'During the observation period, 2.2% of the participants in the azelastine group became infected with SARS-CoV-2; in the placebo group, it was 6.7% -- three times as many.' All infections were confirmed by PCR testing.
In addition to showing a marked reduction in coronavirus infections, the azelastine group also displayed fewer symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, a lower overall number of confirmed respiratory infections, and, unexpectedly, a reduced incidence of rhinovirus infections, another major cause of respiratory illness. In the treatment group, 1.8% developed a rhinovirus infection, compared to 6.3% in the placebo group -- a proportion similar to that seen for SARS-CoV-2.
Azelastine nasal spray has been available for decades as an over-the-counter treatment for hay fever. Previous in vitro studies on azelastine had already suggested antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. 'This clinical trial is the first to demonstrate a protective effect in a real-world setting,' says Professor Bals.
For Robert Bals, the results suggest practical applications: 'Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before travelling.' But Professor Bals also stressed the importance of further research: 'Our results highlight the need for larger, multicentre trials to continue exploring the use of azelastine nasal sprays as an on-demand preventive treatment, and to examine its potential effectiveness against other respiratory pathogens.'
Besides Professor Bals, the randomized, double-blind phase 2 study 'CONTAIN' also involved the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy (Professor Thorsten Lehr, Dr. Dominik Selzer), the Institute of Virology (Professor Sigrun Smola), and the Saarbrücken-based pharmaceutical company URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH, which sponsored the study and manufactured the investigational product. The Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) contributed through the research groups of Professor Smola and Professor Bals. The project serves as an excellent example of successful collaboration between academic research, industry partners and public health initiatives in the Saarland region.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Saarland University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Thorsten Lehr, Peter Meiser, Dominik Selzer, Torben Rixecker, Frank Holzer, Ralph Mösges, Sigrun Smola, Robert Bals, Veronika Alberg, Florian Bub, Nicholas Biwank, Charlotte Dette, Lale Dastgir, Alina Kuntz, Christopher Hale, Johanna Sophie Kapp, Kathrin Litzenburger, Henning Morr, Johanna Wagner, Hacer Sahin, Nelli Schröder, Martina Seibert, Katrin Thieser, Quirin Werthner. Azelastine Nasal Spray for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infections. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.4283[1]
Cite This Page:
Saarland University. "Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm>.
Saarland University. (2025, September 7). Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 7, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm
Saarland University. "Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm (accessed September 7, 2025).
Apr. 8, 2025 Scientists have pioneered an influenza virus vector-based nasal spray vaccine platform and developed a nasal spray H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, this platform ...
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A common hay fever nasal spray was found to cut COVID-19 infections by two-thirds in a clinical trial, while also reducing rhinovirus cases. Researchers believe it could serve as an easy, low-cost preventive measure, pending further studies.
FULL STORY
An allergy nasal spray dramatically reduced COVID-19 and cold infections in a trial, raising hopes for a simple new preventive tool. Credit: Shutterstock
The trial, led by Professor Robert Bals, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine V at Saarland University Medical Center and Professor of Internal Medicine at Saarland University, divided the 450 participants into two groups. The treatment group of 227 individuals used an azelastine nasal spray three times a day over a 56-day period. During that same period, the 223 participants in the control group used a placebo spray three times a day. Robert Bals summarized the key finding as follows: 'During the observation period, 2.2% of the participants in the azelastine group became infected with SARS-CoV-2; in the placebo group, it was 6.7% -- three times as many.' All infections were confirmed by PCR testing.
In addition to showing a marked reduction in coronavirus infections, the azelastine group also displayed fewer symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, a lower overall number of confirmed respiratory infections, and, unexpectedly, a reduced incidence of rhinovirus infections, another major cause of respiratory illness. In the treatment group, 1.8% developed a rhinovirus infection, compared to 6.3% in the placebo group -- a proportion similar to that seen for SARS-CoV-2.
Azelastine nasal spray has been available for decades as an over-the-counter treatment for hay fever. Previous in vitro studies on azelastine had already suggested antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. 'This clinical trial is the first to demonstrate a protective effect in a real-world setting,' says Professor Bals.
For Robert Bals, the results suggest practical applications: 'Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before travelling.' But Professor Bals also stressed the importance of further research: 'Our results highlight the need for larger, multicentre trials to continue exploring the use of azelastine nasal sprays as an on-demand preventive treatment, and to examine its potential effectiveness against other respiratory pathogens.'
Besides Professor Bals, the randomized, double-blind phase 2 study 'CONTAIN' also involved the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy (Professor Thorsten Lehr, Dr. Dominik Selzer), the Institute of Virology (Professor Sigrun Smola), and the Saarbrücken-based pharmaceutical company URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH, which sponsored the study and manufactured the investigational product. The Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) contributed through the research groups of Professor Smola and Professor Bals. The project serves as an excellent example of successful collaboration between academic research, industry partners and public health initiatives in the Saarland region.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Saarland University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Thorsten Lehr, Peter Meiser, Dominik Selzer, Torben Rixecker, Frank Holzer, Ralph Mösges, Sigrun Smola, Robert Bals, Veronika Alberg, Florian Bub, Nicholas Biwank, Charlotte Dette, Lale Dastgir, Alina Kuntz, Christopher Hale, Johanna Sophie Kapp, Kathrin Litzenburger, Henning Morr, Johanna Wagner, Hacer Sahin, Nelli Schröder, Martina Seibert, Katrin Thieser, Quirin Werthner. Azelastine Nasal Spray for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infections. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.4283[1]
Cite This Page:
Saarland University. "Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm>.
Saarland University. (2025, September 7). Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 7, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm
Saarland University. "Common allergy spray slashes COVID-19 risk in surprising trial." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907024535.htm (accessed September 7, 2025).
Apr. 8, 2025 Scientists have pioneered an influenza virus vector-based nasal spray vaccine platform and developed a nasal spray H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, this platform ...
Feb. 27, 2025 A new study suggests a nasal spray developed to target neuroinflammation could one day be an effective treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI). By studying the effects of the nasal anti-CD3 in a ...
Jan. 8, 2024 Measuring airborne grass allergen levels instead of pollen counts will be more beneficial for hay fever sufferers as new research shows grass allergen levels are more consistently associated with hay ...
Mar. 15, 2023 It may be better to let a mild fever run its course instead of automatically reaching for medication, new research suggests. Researchers found that untreated moderate fever helped fish clear their ...
Mar. 28, 2022 Researchers have shown a new compound delivered in a nasal spray is highly effective in preventing and treating COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant in mice. The researchers believe this is the first ...
Sep. 25, 2020 A clinical trial provides evidence that 3D-printed alternative nasal swabs work as well for COVID-19 diagnostic testing as commercial synthetic flocked nasal swabs. Given the ongoing need for ...
