Australian biotech company Starpharma has signed a 5-year supply and distribution arrangement for its VIRALEZE™ antiviral nasal spray in Vietnam, with a minimum commitment of 1 million units in the first year.

• The agreement includes a minimum commitment of 1 million units in the first year
• VIRALEZE™ is scheduled to be officially launched in Vietnam today, following its registration for sale this week
• VIRALEZE™ is a broad-spectrum antiviral nasal spray that contains SPL7013, which has been shown to have potent antiviral and virucidal activity in multiple respiratory viruses, including inactivation of >99.9% of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, in laboratory studies that have been published in international, peer reviewed journals

The official launch of VIRALEZE™ in Vietnam is scheduled to occur today and will be attended by key health officials, healthcare leaders, and media.

Vietnam, which has a population of approximately 98 million, is experiencing a significant Delta outbreak with just over half of its population vaccinated.

VIRALEZE™ will be available in Vietnam to retail consumers, clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies through the local medical distribution networks in Vietnam.

VIRALEZE™ is a broad-spectrum antiviral nasal spray. The antiviral agent in VIRALEZE™, referred to as SPL7013, has been shown in laboratory studies to have potent antiviral and virucidal activity in multiple respiratory/cold viruses. Further, SPL7013 has been shown in laboratory studies to inactivate multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), including inactivation of >99.9% of the highly infectious Delta variant.

VIRALEZE™ is applied in the nose to provide a physical barrier - between viruses and the nasal mucous membrane - that traps and irreversibly inactivates virus.

Importantly, VIRALEZE™ has a mechanism of action that is not adversely impacted by mutations in the spike proteins that make SARS-CoV-2 more infectious, as occurred with the Delta strain, which appears to make the virus more susceptible to trapping and blocking by SPL7013.

Dr Jackie Fairley, Starpharma CEO commented: "We are delighted to see our partners launch VIRALEZE™ in Vietnam so rapidly, particularly given the current Delta outbreak across the country. In parallel, Starpharma continues to advance its discussions with potential commercial partners elsewhere in multiple countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and India."