Bolsonaro seeks Israeli anti-COVID nasal spray for Brazil

Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/02/18/20210217-beach.jpg"/><figcaption>Beachgoers enjoy sunny weather in Leblon Beach as the Carnival celebrations were cancelled due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb. 16, 2021. <em>Ricardo Moraes, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BRASILIA — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Monday his government would seek emergency use authorization for an Israeli-developed nasal spray against COVID-19 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a &quot;miracle&quot; treatment.</p><p>&quot;EXO-CD24 is a nasal spray developed by the Ichilov Medical Center in Israel, with nearly 100-percent effectiveness -- 29 out of 30 -- against COVID in serious cases,&quot; Bolsonaro tweeted, two days after speaking on the phone with Netanyahu, who calls the Brazilian far-right leader a &quot;good friend.&quot;</p><p>&quot;A request to analyze this medication for emergency use will be sent shortly to (federal health regulator) Anvisa,&quot; Bolsonaro wrote.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="pt">- EXO-CD24 é um spray nasal desenvolvido pelo Centro Médico Ichilov de Israel, com eficácia próxima de 100% (29/30), em casos graves, contra a Covid.<br/><br/>- Brevemente será enviado à ANVISA o pedido de análise para uso emergencial do medicamento. <a href="https://t.co/BldSkzYZo0">pic.twitter.com/BldSkzYZo0</a></p>— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/jairbolsonaro/status/1361284544972873730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>The Ichilov Medical Center announced two weeks ago that one of its researchers had carried out Phase One testing -- typically the first of three phases of clinical trials -- on a nasal spray he developed against respiratory symptoms linked to COVID-19.</p><div><strong>RELATED STORIES: </strong></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/08/20/president-bolsonaro-of-brazil-tests-positive-for-coronavirus">President Bolsonaro of Brazil tests positive for coronavirus</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/28/21/covid-19-not-enough-to-impeach-bolsonaro-brazils-likely-lower-house-head-says">COVID-19 not enough to impeach Bolsonaro, Brazil&#x27;s likely lower house head says</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/27/21/raging-virus-few-shots-how-brazil-missed-its-chance-to-secure-covid-19-vaccines">Raging virus, few shots. How Brazil missed its chance to secure COVID-19 vaccines</a></li></ul><p>The researcher, Nadir Arber, reported he had administered the spray to 30 patients with moderate to severe cases of COVID-19, and that 29 of them had been released from hospital in three to five days.</p><p>But the medical center did not say whether a placebo had been given to a control group, and has yet to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.</p><p>In order to be accepted as effective by scientists, new treatments must generally undergo randomized, controlled, blind clinical trials that are then shared in a research publication.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: How does a pandemic end? | NXT</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5D7Bm8Y3P2M?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>However, that did not stop Netanyahu from hailing EXO-CD24 as a &quot;miracle&quot; drug last week.</p><p>Bolsonaro, too, has been eager to embrace experimental treatments against COVID-19, even when health experts question them.</p><p>A fierce critic of lockdown measures, which he says unnecessarily harm the economy, he has instead fervently pushed the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to fight Covid-19.</p><p>He took the latter himself when he tested positive last July, despite scientists&#x27; findings that the two drugs are ineffective against the new coronavirus.</p><p>Bolsonaro has sought to cultivate close ties with Netanyahu.</p><p>In one of his first moves after winning election in 2018, he vowed to follow the lead of his political role model, then US president Donald Trump, and move Brazil&#x27;s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- despite Palestinian claims to parts of the city.</p><div><strong>bur-jhb/jm</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said his government would seek emergency use authorization for an Israeli-developed nasal spray against COVID-19 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "miracle" treatment.</p>

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said his government would seek emergency use authorization for an Israeli-developed nasal spray against COVID-19 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "miracle" treatment.

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Bolsonaro seeks Israeli anti-COVID nasal spray for Brazil

Bolsonaro seeks Israeli anti-COVID nasal spray for Brazil

Agence France-Presse

Published Feb 18, 2021 01:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Brazil

COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccine

Brazil COVID-19

EXO-CD24

Nadir Arber

President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil vaccination

Ichilov Medical Center

Israeli COVID-19 nasal spray

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