‘Offer free Nano Particle coating on masks for corona warriors’
Udaipur : An Udaipur based entrepreneur cum researcher has developed a nanotechnology based research product, SILNAN-50 which can be an antiviral drug candidate as a potential treatment against COVID-19 virus. Achal Agrawal, the young scientist is a researcher and CEO of the WHO-GMP certified API manufacturer Macsen Drugs, a pharma company specializing in cGMP production of rare and atypical bulk drugs.
Achal has been researching on Silver Nanoparticles for last 2 years and have been doing extensive self-experimentation by using his prepared Silver nano suspension on his viral and other infections. ” The most important aspect of this drug is that it can be produced at large scales within a very short time frame, with the resources available in the country. The cost of proposed maximum dosage is approx Rs. 5 per patient per day. We do not have any commercial interest in this product as we want to dedicate this to the nation and humanity” Achal told TOI. Since getting approval of its usage as a drug would take some time, Achal has offered voluntary service to the state and central governments by providing nano particle coating on the ordinary masks which he claims would prove to be cent percent effective for corona warriors.
“The medical teams, police and other workers in the field dealing with the disease are at high risk of getting infected themselves and therefore if the administration provides me ordinary masks, we would upgrade them by the nano particle coating completely at our cost” Achal said. The researcher has also offered the authorities to provide 1000 free samples of such masks for medical staff of the corona ward as well as those on field duty. Besides, he has also sought temporary license from the government to manufacture sanitiser which is urgently required in bulk quantity.
A very important aspect is that if the drug shows success then it can be easily made on large scales in a very short time frame with the resources already available in the country. The cost of the drug is negligible. The company is trying to approach the government to use this research product for conducting trials on the COVID-19 infected patients and conduct an advance stage clinical trial directly, looking at the current situation of the declared pandemic.
About SILNAN-50
SILNAN-50 is basically a citrate stabilized suspension of Silver Nanoparticles of average size between 10 to 15 nanometer. The strength of silver in the suspension is only 0.005% (50 ppm). The product contains microbe free purified / distilled water, Suspended silver nanoparticles and Trisodium Citrate as a stabilizer and reducing agent. The product is stable for few months when stored in a refrigerator. Silver Nanoparticles and the developed research product SILNAN-50 can be a high potential candidate against COVID-19 due to already exhibited broad spectrum and non-specific antiviral activity of Silver Nanoparticles.