Most common disease in the world in terms of number of annual cases, cold common affects billions of people. Highly contagious, the disease occurs several times throughout life, especially in children and people with low immunity.
To complicate the situation, the common cold has no curein order to immediately eliminate the infection, as there is still no antiviral treatment that can directly combat the viruses that cause it.
A study in 2025 tested the effectiveness of an immune complex made up of natural ingredients to reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
The treatment, called Biovanta, is a throat spray with three ingredients: lysozyme (a protein found in saliva and other mucus), lactoferrin (a protein found in tears, saliva, milk and blood), and aloe (aloe vera).
Lysozyme has antimicrobial effects, lactoferrin binds to various viruses and blocks their entry into epithelial cells, while aloe helps strengthen the respiratory lining.
In addition to these components, known for their anti-inflammatory and immune modulating effects, the treatment also included salicylates, compounds present in aspirin and foods such as fruits and vegetables.
How was the throat spray clinical trial carried out?
Evaluation of the effectiveness of MIC (mucosal immune complex) throat spray involved a double-blind randomized controlled trial in 157 participantsa methodology considered the gold standard in research.
To test the drug’s effects, participants were randomly divided into three treatment groups:
- CIM spray with 6 mg aspirin and a placebo tablet;
- MIC spray with 6 mg wintergreen oil and a placebo tablet;
- MIC spray with 6 mg wintergreen oil and a 325 mg aspirin tablet.
In this type of research, both participants and researchers are unaware of who is receiving the experimental treatment and who is receiving placebo or standard treatment.
Wintergreen oil is rich in methyl salicylate, known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antirheumatic properties. .
To measure results, the following were used: the Sore Throat Intensity Scale (STPIS) after 36 hours and the Modified Jackson Score (MJS) for eight cold symptoms.
What were the results of the survey?
In the analysis of results, sore throat measured by the STPIS scale showed a drop of 68% to 75% in 36 hours in the treatment groups, with the placebo showing an improvement of only 14%.
Symptoms such as nasal discharge, congestion, sneezing, coughing, sore throat and malaise, measured by the MJS, decreased between 38% and 68%, depending on the treatment, with participants in the third group showing the greatest improvement.
Treatments two and three showed a reduction in nasal congestion of between 57% and 67%, while treatment three alone showed a 72% reduction in coughing.
For co-author Nazlie Latefi, “the study confirms that strengthening the respiratory lining and reducing inflammation.”
Speaking to the BioSpace platform, the co-founder of Applied Biological Laboratories, manufacturer of the Biovanta brand, explained that the symptoms soon begin to improve and, On the second day, “we see improvements of 70%”.
To give you an idea of what this percentage means, current treatments usually reduce cold symptoms by 25%. In other words, the difference between being able to carry out your daily activities or staying in bed.
Available on the market as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication in the United States, Biovanta does not yet have approval from the American regulatory agency FDA. The product is not available in Brazil and is not approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).
