Adelaide volunteers needed for common cold trial

Firebrick Pharma is appealing to adult Adelaide residents to participate in a clinical trial of a potential breakthrough treatment for the common cold. Participants will be compensated for their time and expenses incurred in the study.

The Phase 3 trial is being conducted by CMAX Clinical Research to test a nasal spray, called Nasodine^®, that has been developed by Australian scientists.

“Adelaide residents can be among the first in the world to try Nasodine, which in previous clinical trials has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated. This trial seeks to confirm the efficacy of Nasodine as a treatment for the common cold,” said Firebrick Pharma Executive Chairman, Dr Peter Molloy.

The trial is randomised and placebo-controlled, meaning participants have a 50/50 chance of receiving the active nasal spray medicine or a placebo nasal spray.

All trial participants will be compensated for their time. They will only need to attend one appointment and will then continue the nasal spray treatment regime at home or at work over 5 days and complete a total of 14 days of brief electronic reporting of symptoms using a webapp. Participants will be tested for COVID-19 to ensure they have the common cold and not COVID-19.

“We believe Nasodine will be a first-in-class nasal spray medicine in that it actually targets the viral cause of the common cold, where colds start – in the nose,” said Dr Molloy.

Early in his career, Dr Molloy launched Betadine^® Sore Throat Gargle in Australia^[1]. Subsequently, he teamed up with Dr Stephen Goodall to start Firebrick Pharma in 2012 with the aim of creating a nasal spray based on the same active ingredient (povidone-iodine) and developing it as a treatment for the common cold.

People need to have had cold symptoms for less than 36 hours to join the trial. People can also pre-register if they are not sick.

[1] Neither Firebrick Pharma Ltd, nor the Nasodine® brand are in any way endorsed by or associated with the Betadine® brand or the makers or distributors of Betadine® brand products.

“This cold and flu season is particularly bad, so there may be people who choose to pre-register for the trial, before they come down with a cold,” said Dr Molloy. All information and registration details are at commoncoldstudy.com