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CompletedNCT04615936Updated Nov 8, 2021

Nasal Photodisinfection COVID-19 Proof of Concept Study

An interventional study of Methylene-Blue Photodisinfection in COVID-19, Corona Virus Infection and SARS-CoV 2, sponsored by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-08.

Sponsored by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
45
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The study proposes to test photodisinfection (PDF) on SARS-CoV-2 in the nose. The study will use Health Canada approved Steriwave™ Nasal Decolonization (ND) in he nostril of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Participants are swabbed for SARS-CoV-2 before and after the PDF treatment. For the study, a small group of healthcare workers who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 will be included. They will not undergo the treatment but will need to swab their noses multiple times over the next 5 days. This nil group will provide the effect (if any) of swabbing SARS-CoV-2 levels in the nose.

Read the detailed description

The study proposes to test photodisinfetion (PDF) on levels of SARS-CoV-2 in the nose. The study will use Health Canada approved Steriwave™ Nasal Decolonization (ND) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 . Currrently, PDF is being used at some institutions before surgery to lower the risk of postoperative infection. PDF uses a Methylene Blue (MB) nasal spray, followed by 5 minutes of red-light exposure through a small light-diffusing applicator. This will need to be placed into each nostril. Participants are swabbed for SARS-CoV-2 before and after treatment. In addition to the patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, there will also be a small group of healthcare workers who have tested positive that will be included. Though they are not undergoing treatment, they will swab their own noses multiple times over a period of 5 days. This will allow us to evaluate the effect (if any) of swabbing on SARS-CoV-2 levels in the nose. The study hypothesis is that MB-mediated PDF will show the ability to kill SARS-CoV-2 which will consequently confirm its efficacy as a first line defense against the virus.

02

Conditions studied

  • COVID-19
  • Corona Virus Infection
  • SARS-CoV 2

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • coronavirus
  • influenza
  • photodisinfection
  • nasal photodisinfection
03

In context

COVID-19

7,640 studies on the registry are indexed under COVID-19; 488 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 45 is below the median of 100 across 4,099 interventional studies indexed under COVID-19.

Browse COVID-19 studies →

Lead sponsor

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is the lead sponsor of 566 studies on the registry; 134 are open to participants now.

Of its 6 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (33%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria (patient population):

  • Recent SARS-CoV-2+ diagnosis
  • Present in hospital

Inclusion Criteria (healthcare workers):

  • Recent SARS-CoV-2+ diagnosis
  • Ability to self-administer nasal swabs

Exclusion Criteria (patient population):

  • Immediate requirement for intubation (i.e. emergency airway) or inability to maintain independent oral airway

Exclusion Criteria (healthcare workers):

  • None
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
45 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Methylene Blue-Photodisinfection

    The Health-Canada approved Steriwave system (Ondine Biomedical, BC) will be used to deliver the Methylene Blue-Photodisinfection (MB-PDF) to the anterior nares.

    Other: Methylene-Blue Photodisinfection

Interventions

  • OtherMethylene-Blue Photodisinfection

    Participants will receive a pre-treatment nasal swab followed MB-PDF, this involves an MB nasal spray, followed by five minutes of red-light exposure into each nostril. Ten minutes after the treatment, a post treatment nasal swab will be performed.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. RT-qPCR

    The main endpoint is microbiological; RT-qPCR will be conducted on the pre and post treatment swabs and the change in cycle threshold value will be measured

    Time frame: 30 minutes

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
    Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Lobo CS, Rodrigues-Santos P, Pereira D, Nunez J, Trepa JCD, Sousa DL, Lourenco JV, Coelho MF, de Almeida LP, da Cunha JS, Arnaut LG. Photodynamic disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples using a methylene blue formulation. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2022 Jun;21(6):1101-1109. doi: 10.1007/s43630-022-00202-6. Epub 2022 Mar 19. PubMed 35304729 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 8, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04615936
Lead sponsor
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 4, 2020
Start date
Oct 13, 2020
Primary completion
Jul 7, 2021
Completion
Oct 19, 2021
Last update
Nov 8, 2021

Study contacts

Cari Whyne, PhD
principal investigator · Sunnybrook Research Institute

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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