Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Credit: EmitBio.

EmitBio has announced that new evidence from laboratory testing showed that its light technology can inactivate several coronaviruses, including the one that causes Covid-19 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

The evidence hints at the potential of effectiveness of the company’s technology against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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EmitBio executive chairman Neal Hunter said: “Over the last 20 years, we have seen three life-threatening coronavirus outbreaks, SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and now, SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19.

“Having this countermeasure at-the-ready will not only help current Covid-19 patients but will also provide protection against future outbreaks.

“On a scale of genetic variation from A to Z, if you consider SARS-CoV-2 as A, and MERS-CoV as Z, and we can kill them both, then we can most likely kill everything in between.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), MERS-CoV has a 35%-40% fatality rate in people who test positive. Most cases are linked to the Arabian Peninsula residents even though cases were reported outside of this region because of travellers returning home from Saudi Arabia.

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The company noted that precise wavelengths of light achieved over 99.9% reduction in MERS-CoV viral load at energy doses proven safe to human tissue in a controlled laboratory environment.

Furthermore, the data indicate the potential of visible light therapy in killing coronaviruses that may exist in animal populations but do not yet exist in humans.

EmitBio Virology Research director Dr Adam Cockrell said: “What we learned from these findings is that our visible light is effective at inactivating viral particles before infecting the cell, much like antibodies inactivate viruses and prevent them from entering cells.”

EmitBio has also developed a novel, hand-held treatment device for at-home use for treating mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults who test positive for SARS-CoV-2.