Our Mission/The Company
The traditional “Big Pharma” approach may be viewed as imposing a “foreign” solution on the organism, sometimes by harsh means. Indeed, there are many cases when such an approach is inevitable. However, there are many other cases when nature-based, “organism-friendly”, “soft” solutions have a vital role to play.
Novid-20 operates in this mode. We are an Israeli startup company established to harness the unique antiviral properties of a previously unknown component of cinnamon. This compound, branded Cinnovir, has broad-scale activity against a large variety of enveloped viruses.
According to preclinical lab studies, Cinnovir binds to viruses and thus reduces the viral load. Our solutions are intended for use as food supplements.
We envision that Cinnovir will eventually become beneficial in following application areas:
Anti-Herpes Applications
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and type 2 infections are widely prevalent, afflicting billions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, two-thirds of the world’s population under the age of 50 carry HSV-1; while 491 million people aged 15-49 are infected with the closely related virus HSV-2.
HSV-1 and HSV-2 have evolved a variety of immune-evasion techniques, including the ability to evade both innate and adaptive immunity. Thus, members of the alpha herpes virus sub-family establish latent infections in sensory nerve ganglia. Latent viruses may be reactivated and enter a replicative cycle at any point in time. Due to this latency, efforts to remove the virus from inside the nerve ganglia appear to be futile. Therefore, the medical objective is limited to preventing reactivation of the virus.
Up to now, no prophylactic vaccine or cure for HSV has been developed. Existing antiviral medications such as Acyclovir, Famciclovir, Valacyclovir and Zovirax will not cure herpes; they only alleviate the symptoms of the infection.
Nascent Vaccines Limitations
The enormity of the problem has induced several biotech and pharma companies to launch efforts to develop new vaccines for HSV-2.
The vaccine approach appears to have some limitations. A potential candidate for a vaccine does not know in advance if they would contract HSV-2 during their lifetime. Though very unpleasant and even humiliating, HSV-2 nonetheless is not life-threatening. Therefore, comprehensive mandatory vaccination hardly appears to be realistic. A vaccine’s efficacy may be in question as well since, as mentioned above, HSV-2 is frequently dormant and concealed in the ganglia. It remains an open question whether a vaccine can identify the virus in the ganglia and eradicate it there. Moreover, vaccines may have side effects, and if the experience with Covid-19 is an indication, large swaths of the population (some 25%) would avoid vaccination even against a life-threatening virus.
Food Security / Animal Health
Food security is a global issue of overriding importance, depending heavily on the availability of food. Protection of farm animals against viral diseases is crucial for food security.
A major concern is the spread of avian flu. The World Health Organization states, “In 2022, 67 countries in five continents reported H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza outbreaks in poultry and wild birds to WOAH, with more than 131 million domestic poultry lost due to death or culling in affected farms and villages”.
https://www.who.int/news/item/12-07-2023-ongoing-avian-influenza-outbreaks-in-animals-pose-risk-to-humans
Vaccination is a powerful tool in the control of infectious diseases, but it can never be a stand-alone solution. There are only a few veterinary vaccines that have the capacity to totally block the pathogenic agent, a capacity known as “sterile immunity”. If a vaccine only limits or reduces the challenging infectious agent, shedding of that agent is still always possible. The vaccination can lower the risk, but not totally eliminate it.
Lab studies have indicated the efficacy of Cinnovir against avian flu (H5N1, H5N2, H9N2 and other strains, including HPAI caused by viruses with H5 or H7) and against NDV, IBV, ILTV.
Healthspan
Cinnamon and its derivatives, including Cinnovir, can significantly contribute to increased health longevity in several ways:
- Diminishing of viral load of a wide range of enveloped viruses.
- Reducing oxidative stress.
Affordable and Natural
Our solutions are unique, all-natural, non-GMO nutraceutical products having pronounced antiviral capabilities, as proven by preclinical studies. What is more, they cost less than a daily cup of coffee.
Read more about our solutions on the Products page!