Company Description
Polyrizon Ltd. (Nasdaq: PLRZ) is a development-stage biotechnology company in the healthcare sector that focuses on intranasal products designed to provide physical protection in the nasal cavity. According to the company’s public disclosures, Polyrizon specializes in medical device hydrogels delivered as nasal sprays that form a thin hydrogel-based shield containment barrier in the nasal cavity. This barrier is intended to reduce contact between viruses or allergens and the nasal epithelial tissue, functioning as a type of "biological mask."
The company is based in Raanana, Israel and is characterized in its filings and press releases as a pre-clinical-stage or development-stage biotech company. Its core technology platform is known as Capture and Contain™ (C&C), a proprietary hydrogel system comprised of a mixture of naturally occurring building blocks. Delivered as a nasal spray, this C&C hydrogel can form a thin, bio-adhesive shield containment barrier in the nasal cavity. Polyrizon also describes work on enhancing bioadhesion and prolonged retention at the nasal deposition site, which is important for maintaining the barrier effect over time.
Core intranasal platforms
Polyrizon’s main technology platforms, as described in its news releases and SEC filings, are:
- Capture and Contain™ (C&C): A hydrogel technology delivered via nasal spray that can form a thin shield containment barrier in the nasal cavity. It is described as potentially functioning as a "biological mask" that provides a barrier against viruses and allergens contacting nasal tissue. The company is further developing aspects such as bioadhesion and prolonged retention to support intranasal delivery.
- Trap and Target™ (T&T): An additional technology platform at an earlier pre-clinical stage, focused on nasal delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Polyrizon associates this platform with intranasal drug delivery applications, including a naloxone hydrogel program for emergency opioid overdose reversal.
Key product candidates
Public company communications describe several named product candidates built on these platforms:
- PL-14 Allergy Blocker / NASARIX™: PL-14 is an intranasal allergy blocker formulation based on the C&C hydrogel technology. It is designed to create a protective physical barrier in the nasal cavity against airborne allergens and viruses. Polyrizon has completed a branding process for PL-14, which will be marketed under the brand name NASARIX™. Company materials describe PL-14 as a non-pharmacological, locally acting nasal spray intended to reduce exposure to airborne allergens, and pre-clinical in-vitro studies have evaluated its allergen-blocking performance.
- PL-16 Viral Blocker: PL-16 is described as a non-pharmacological, metered-dose intranasal hydrogel spray designed to form a temporary physical barrier on the nasal mucosa. According to Polyrizon’s announcements, PL-16 is intended to reduce exposure to airborne respiratory viruses, including influenza and common cold viruses, by mechanically reducing contact between inhaled particles and the nasal epithelium. Preclinical in-vitro studies reported by the company indicate that PL-16 preserved cell viability following exposure to certain viruses by preventing viral access to cells, and that its mechanism is characterized as purely physical rather than virucidal.
- Intranasal naloxone hydrogel: Within the Trap & Target™ platform, Polyrizon is developing a proprietary intranasal naloxone hydrogel formulation. Company disclosures describe preclinical work on stability, mucoadhesion, and permeation kinetics, including comparisons with a marketed intranasal naloxone product. The hydrogel has demonstrated enhanced mucoadhesion on nasal tissue while maintaining permeation profiles that are comparable to the reference product under controlled conditions, supporting its potential for emergency opioid overdose reversal.
Development stage and regulatory interactions
Polyrizon characterizes itself as a pre-clinical-stage or development-stage biotechnology company. Its disclosures emphasize that its programs are in development and that it is advancing product development, preclinical and clinical studies, and regulatory progress. For PL-14 Allergy Blocker, the company has reported a pre-submission meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss its development program, including manufacturing, analytical controls, stability, biocompatibility, and clinical strategy. For PL-16 Viral Blocker, Polyrizon has submitted a Pre-Request for Designation (Pre-RFD) to the FDA to clarify the appropriate regulatory pathway based on the product’s formulation and physical mode of action.
These interactions, as described in company press releases and 6-K filings, reflect Polyrizon’s focus on aligning its intranasal products with regulatory expectations for nasal spray and inhalation products. The company emphasizes non-pharmacological, locally acting mechanisms for its C&C-based products, with an emphasis on physical barrier functionality.
Strategic and financial considerations
In addition to its core medical device and intranasal product pipeline, Polyrizon’s Board of Directors has authorized the exploration of strategic investment opportunities in select revenue-generating assets. Public announcements state that the company is examining operating companies and assets in high-potential sectors such as defense, aviation, artificial intelligence (AI), and real assets. These initiatives are described as leveraging a strong cash position and a debt-free balance sheet, with the stated aim of generating near-term revenues and enhancing financial stability while maintaining focus on the primary medical pipeline.
Polyrizon also reports corporate actions relevant to shareholders, including a reverse share split of its ordinary shares at a 1-for-6 ratio, as disclosed in a Form 6-K. The company has also reported regaining compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, indicating that its ordinary shares continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Research focus and applications
Across its communications, Polyrizon highlights several application areas for its intranasal technologies:
- Allergy and respiratory health: PL-14/NASARIX™ is described as an allergy blocker designed to reduce exposure to airborne allergens. Company materials discuss allergic rhinitis and the broader allergy market as a context for this product, and pre-clinical studies have evaluated its ability to inhibit transfer of specific allergens in vitro.
- Viral exposure reduction: PL-16 Viral Blocker and other C&C-based formulations are described as intranasal barrier-forming products intended to reduce exposure to respiratory viruses such as influenza and common cold viruses. The company has reported in-vitro data showing high levels of protection of cells from viral infections in preclinical models.
- Intranasal drug delivery: The Trap & Target™ platform and the naloxone hydrogel program focus on nasal delivery of APIs. Company disclosures describe mucoadhesion and permeation characteristics that support rapid drug diffusion while maintaining extended residence time at the nasal deposition site, which is particularly relevant for emergency treatments like opioid overdose reversal.
Stock information and corporate structure
Polyrizon Ltd. is identified in its SEC filings as a foreign private issuer that files reports on Form 20-F and Form 6-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company’s ordinary shares, with no par value, trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol PLRZ. Its Form 6-K filings reference registration statements on Form S-8 and Form F-3, as well as interim financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis, indicating that it provides periodic financial and operational updates consistent with its status as a listed foreign issuer.
Summary
According to its own disclosures, Polyrizon Ltd. is a development-stage biotech company in the healthcare sector focused on intranasal hydrogels and barrier-forming nasal sprays. Its proprietary Capture and Contain™ and Trap & Target™ platforms support product candidates such as PL-14/NASARIX™ for allergy blocking, PL-16 Viral Blocker for respiratory virus exposure reduction, and an intranasal naloxone hydrogel for drug delivery. The company emphasizes non-pharmacological, locally acting mechanisms for its barrier products, ongoing preclinical research, regulatory engagement with the FDA, and selective exploration of revenue-generating investments, while maintaining its primary focus on its intranasal medical pipeline.