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A trial is under way of the first new antibody medicine developed to treat covid-19
The news: Patients have started to receive the first antibody drug
developed specifically to treat covid-19. It’s being tested in 32
patients at various doses in hospitals in the US. If it’s shown to be
safe, the drug will be studied in non-hospitalized coronavirus patients
later this summer.
The big idea:
Researchers used blood drawn from an early survivor of covid-19 in the
US back in February, containing the antibodies that lock onto the virus
and neutralize it. The goal is to turn one person’s successful immune response to covid-19 into a drug that can benefit everyone. These drugs aren’t vaccines
and would not offer permanent immunity. But they could act like a
temporary shot, giving people weeks or months of protection. If the
trial that has just started is successful, it will be one of the first
treatments for covid-19.
Not alone: This particular drug is the result of a collaboration between pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly
and Vancouver-based biotech firm AbCellera. However, others are trying
to create their own antibody drugs too. Regeneron and a partnership
between GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology are both expected to start
testing their versions soon..
The wider picture: This drug won’t be a silver bullet. The virus still isn’t that well understood, which makes treating it very difficult. Read the full story.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/01/1002475/trial-new-antibody-medicine-developed-to-treat-covid-19/?truid=e6a9a97f971519b8818ba7420a6d576d&utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_term=non-subs&utm_content=06-02-2020
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