Next big COVID-19 treatment may be manufactured Antibodies
LONDON: As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, the next big advance in battling the pandemic could come from a class of biotech therapies widely used against cancer and other disorders — Antibodies designed specifically to attack this new virus.
Development of monoclonal Antibodies to target the virus has been endorsed by leading scientists. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, called them “almost a sure bet” against COVID-19.
When a virus gets past the body’s initial defenses, a more specific response kicks in, triggering production of cells that target the invader. These include Antibodies that recognise and lock onto a virus, preventing the infection from spreading. Monoclonal Antibodies — grown in bioreactor vats — are copies of these naturally-occurring proteins. Scientists are still working out the exact role of neutralising Antibodies in recovery from COVID-19, but drugmakers are confident that the right Antibodies or a combination can alter the course of the disease that has claimed more than 675,000 lives globally.
WHEN A VIRUS GETS PAST THE BODY’S INITIAL DEFENSES, A MORE SPECIFIC RESPONSE KICKS IN, TRIGGERING PRODUCTION OF CELLS THAT TARGET THE INVADER. THESE INCLUDE ANTIBODIES THAT RECOGNISE AND LOCK ONTO A VIRUS, PREVENTING THE INFECTION FROM SPREADING. MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES — GROWN IN BIOREACTOR VATS — ARE COPIES OF THESE NATURALLY-OCCURRING PROTEINS
“Antibodies can block infectivity. That is a fact,” Regeneron Pharmaceuticals executive Christos Kyratsous said.
The US government in June awarded Regeneron a $450 million supply contract. The company said it can immediately begin production at its US plant if regulators approve the treatment. Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca, Amgen,andglaxosmithkline were cleared by the US government to pool manufacturing resources in order to scale up supplies if any of these drugs prove successful.
Even with that unusual cooperation among rivals, manufacturing these medicines is complex and capacity is limited. There is also a debate over whether a single antibody will be powerful enough to stop COVID-19.
Unlike vaccines, which activate the body’s own immune system, the impact of infused Antibodies eventually dissipates.
Still, drugmakers say monoclonal Antibodies could temporarily prevent infection in at-risk people such as medical workers and the elderly. They could also be used as a therapeutic bridge until vaccines become widely available. — Reuters