The recent outbreak and rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and a massive public health crisis. COVID-19 has also had a severe impact on the quality of life and mental health. While different health authorities such as WHO and CDC are encouraging adoption of strategies including hand washing and use of facemasks to reduce the spread of the pathogens and infections, adoption of these approaches requires substantial commitment. Current hand sanitizers based on ethanol provide immediate protection, however, the protection rendered by such sanitizers is very short-lived due to their rapid evaporation. A long-lasting sanitizing skin protectant that can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and provide persistent efficacy over several hours will provide people the freedom to carry on with their activities without constant concerns about the cleanliness of their hands. Herein, we describe a skin protectant, IonLASTTM, based on an ionic liquid/deep eutectic solvent, formed by GRAS materials, choline and geranic acid (CAGE, CG-101), that provides protection for at least 4h after a single application. IonLASTTM was formulated as a gel that facilitates easy application on the skin. Tolerance of CG-101 was substantiated through a study in human volunteers. In vitro studies confirmed that IonLASTTM effectively inactivates a human coronavirus hCoV229E. A second human clinical study established that a single application of IonLASTTM imparts protection against microbes that lasts up to several hours.
Clinical translation of choline and geranic acid deep eutectic solvent
