With smoke from the Western wildfires moving East and heavy rains flooding hundreds of homes in New Jersey, Aikta Wahi said it is more important than ever to address the issue of poor air quality.
“We hope to better educate people about that,” she said.
As well as help prevent ailments that may arise from it, she added.
Wahi, president of NasalGuard in Somerville, announced Monday the official rebrand and reformulation of a product she herself once used to prevent allergies.
“What Brita does for the water you drink, NasalGuard does for the air you breathe,” Ashok Wahi, CEO and president of Trutek Corp., a research and development firm in Somerville, said.
Ashok Wahi originally manufactured a product known as Allergen Block in 1995 to help his daughter, Aikta Wahi, with her symptoms. More than 12 million units were sold, earning more than $10 million in revenue.
Then, after joining the company in 2015, Aikta Wahi worked with her sister, Kanika Wahi, a biomedical engineer, to co-invent a new patent in Trutek’s on-site laboratory that would address a wider spectrum of both indoor and outdoor airborne particles.
“We have relaunched to offer a solution for healthier breathing for users everywhere that stale or contaminated air poses a health hazard,” Aikta Wahi said.
NasalGuard Airborne Particle Blocker, a proprietary, electrostatic, drug-free and water-based nasal gel, now creates a safe, invisible filter for the nose against many microscopic airborne particles, including allergens such as mold, chemical and environmental pollutants, and virus-size particles.
“We are so thrilled to bring NasalGuard to the millions of people who are concerned about breathing in contaminated air, including allergies, viruses, mold, pollen, pet dander, dust mites and more,” Aikta Wahi said.
Ashok Wahi said while the reformulation cost nearly $1.25 million and took nearly 18 months, he believes NasalGuard will help the New Jersey company reach $30 million in revenue within five years.
Each tube of NasalGuard, which contains nearly 150 applications, can be purchased on the company’s website and Amazon.com for $14.85.
