Final study results: ColdZyme reduces illness duration and alleviates symptoms
An independent investigator-initiated study from the University of Kent demonstrates that Enzymatica’s mouth spray ColdZyme reduces the duration of upper respiratory tract infections by up to five days in endurance athletes, enabling faster return to training. Additionally, ColdZyme alleviates symptoms and decreases the viral load of rhinovirus, the most common cause of a cold. Principal investigator Glen Davison shared insights on these results in an interview with BioStock.
Enzymatica has developed ColdZyme, a mouth spray designed to protect against upper respiratory tract viruses that cause common cold and flu-like symptoms. ColdZyme creates a barrier on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and throat. The barrier inhibits the captured virus ability to infect cells and multiply. The product is classified as a medical device and certified under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR).
Study on ColdZyme effect in endurance athletes
Since 2022, an independent investigator initiated study has been conducted at the University of Kent to test whether ColdZyme can reduce the symptoms and duration of upper respiratory tract infections in endurance athletes. Endurance athletes can have high susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections, causing symptoms like cough and sore throat and long disruptions to their training schedules.
The study is double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized to accurately capture the effect of ColdZyme. The study involved 164 endurance athletes who received either ColdZyme or placebo, with instructions to use either preventatively or when experiencing upper respiratory tract infection symptoms. Participants maintained a training log and completed a daily questionnaire to track upper respiratory tract symptoms. When symptoms appeared, they took a self-swab throat sample which was sent to a specialist laboratory to screen for URTI-causing pathogens and monitor viral load.
Less sick days and reduced symptoms
The study results were presented in early September and demonstrated a significant difference between ColdZyme and placebo. Athletes in the ColdZyme treatment group experienced a significantly shorter duration of upper respiratory tract infections, which was the study’s primary endpoint. The illness duration was lowered by approximately five days, on average, allowing athletes to recover and return to full training sooner.
Secondary endpoints revealed a significantly lower viral load for rhinovirus, reduced symptom severity, and fewer lost training days. Athletes typically lost 3-4 days of training in the placebo group, compared to 1-2 days in the ColdZyme group.
Professor Davison comments on the research findings
Glen Davison, Principal Investigator of the study and Professor in Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Kent, commented on the results:
– These results indicate that ColdZyme addresses the underlying cause of the URT infections, inhibiting the viruses’ ability to infect cells further, stopping the spread of the virus between cells and allowing the body to eliminate and `get over’ the virus infection more quickly.
Professor Davison presented interim study data at the International Olympic Committee Conference on the Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sports in March, following which interim data was published in BJSM, British Journal of Sports Medicine.
BioStock contacted Glen Davison to learn more about his research on ColdZyme and the international attention it is garnering.
What initially motivated you to study ColdZyme and its effects on upper respiratory tract infections?
– My interest is in the effects of exercise on the immune system and resistance to infections, particularly upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. I have been conducting research in this area for over twenty years, mainly focusing on the evaluation of products and interventions that can help prevent upper respiratory tract infections in athletes or help athletes get back to training more quickly after an upper respiratory tract infection. This is how I first came into contact with ColdZyme, which led to my initial research into the product. As a keen endurance athlete myself, I am always keen to study interventions that can reduce training days lost.
How does ColdZyme compare to other treatments or preventive measures for upper respiratory tract infections?
– There is nothing like this in my field. More broadly, the results we have seen in this study seem to far exceed anything else I have come across. Reducing the numbers of training days lost by over 50% is a notable finding.
What do you find most interesting about your research findings on ColdZyme?
– The fact that training days missed were so much lower in the ColdZyme group.
Based on the study findings, how do you envision ColdZyme benefiting athletes and the general population?
– For athletes, we know the less training missed, the better they perform, so this could be a real advantage to them, and their competitive performance. For the general population, there may be similar benefits for slightly different reasons. First of all, less sickness days, and less absenteeism from work. Also, we know productivity (i.e. how well you work) is reduced when ill, even if it does not cause absenteeism, so this could have much wider implications. Also, general wellbeing is negatively affected by URTIs, so there are potential benefits for the general population.
The content of BioStock’s news and analyses is independent but the work of BioStock is to a certain degree financed by life science companies. The above article concerns a company from which BioStock has received financing.
