Virofonol

Virofonol is a polyphenol-rich botanical extract derived from sugar cane (*Saccharum officinarum*), developed by the Australian company The Product Makers (TPM). It is being investigated as an oral therapeutic candidate for the treatment of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections. The extract contains a complex mixture of bioactive polyphenols that are hypothesized to provide dual therapeutic benefits: direct antiviral activity by potentially interfering with viral entry or replication, and anti-inflammatory effects that may help mitigate the systemic inflammatory response and cytokine storm associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. In 2021, TPM initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial (ACTRN12621001113819) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of Virofonol in healthy volunteers, serving as a foundational study for its development as a pharmaceutical intervention.

Brand names

Virofonol

Other names

Polyphenol-rich sugar cane extractPRSE