title: A throat lozenge containing amyl meta cresol and dichlorobenzyl alcohol has a direct virucidal effect on respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and SARS-CoV.
abstract: A potent virucidal mixture containing amyl metacresol and dichlorobenzyl alcohol at low pH inactivated enveloped respiratory viruses influenza A, respiratory synctial virus (RSV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) but not viruses with icosahedral symmetry, such as adenoviruses or rhinoviruses. A titre of approximately 3.5 log10 TCID50 was reduced to below the level of detection within two minutes. Electron microscopy of purified influenza A virus showed extensive clumping and morphological changes in spike configuration after contact with the virucidal mixture, but no overt destruction of the viral membrane. We conclude that, formulated as a lozenge, the mixture could have significant effects in reducing the infectivity of certain infectious viruses in the throat and presumably in cough droplets, thus reducing, theoretically, opportunities for person-to-person transmission.
authors.affiliation: Retroscreen Virology Ltd, UK. j.oxford@retroscreen.com
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oxford
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambkin
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gibb
authors.forename: Shobana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balasingam
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catchpole
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000187:drug effects; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003408:Cresols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000187:drug effects*; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000187:drug effects; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D003408:Cresols; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004338:Drug Combinations; C008396:dichlorobenzyl alcohol