DIVIRNAM®: a novel sustained-release approach to respiratory viral infections

Nikolaos Drakoulis¹, Annia Tsolakou¹, Panagiotis Xintaropoulos¹, Constantine Chalkias², Aikaterini Petsimeri², Avgi Christodoulou¹, Garyfalia Poulakou³, Athanasios Raptis⁴, Nikolaos Tsirikos-Karapanos⁵

¹ Research Group of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece;

² En Ygeia Clinic, Athens, Greece;

³ 3rd University Clinic of Internal Medicine, Sotiria Hospital for Respiratory and Thoracic Diseases, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece;

⁴ Second Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

⁵ Metron Nutraceuticals, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Emerging challenges such as COVID-19 and influenza highlight the need for innovative, safe, and practical interventions that can support both patients and public health systems. The mechanism of action of DIVIRNAM®, a novel patent pending sustained-release formulation combining ammonium chloride with vitamin D, has recently been elucidated and was evaluated in two complementary clinical studies: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients with mild COVID-19 or influenza who received DIVIRNAM® achieved significantly greater viral load reductions compared to placebo group. In a second 30-day supplementation trial in healthy volunteers, DIVIRNAM® was shown to be safe, well tolerated, and effective in restoring or maintaining vitamin D sufficiency in all participants. Together, these results demonstrate that DIVIRNAM® is not only pharmacologically active but also suitable for longer-term use, positioning it as a promising tool in the management of RNA-viral respiratory infections.