A new type of drug neutralized the coronavirus in lab tests

[Chris Smith]

• Some of the researchers devising coronavirus treatments are creating therapies based on artificial antibodies that can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and prevent infection.
• Sorrento is one of the companies involved in the development of monoclonal antibody therapies, having recently announced that one of its proposed antibodies can neutralize the virus in lab testing.
• The pharmaceutical company revealed that it has a second compound that can inhibit the virus in lab conditions, a protein called STI-4398 (COVIDTRAP).

Effective vaccines for the novel coronavirus will do a world of good in helping us manage future outbreaks. As long as a substantial portion of the population is protected, the virus won't spread as quickly. But we’re not placing all our eggs in the vaccine basket. More than 130 vaccines are currently in development, but several other labs have been working on monoclonal antibody therapies that work just like plasma transfusions from COVID-19 survivors.

The plasma treatment works, but it’s cumbersome. Hospitals need volunteers, and donors need to match the patients. That’s where the new drugs come in. Monoclonal antibody drugs deliver antibodies that are known to be effective against the novel virus. But these components have been grown in a lab, and don’t require donors.

Sorrento announced a few weeks ago that one of its antibody candidates can prevent the virus from infecting cells. The company is back once again this week with a similar finding, saying that it has a second compound that can block the infection in lab testing.

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A new type of drug neutralized the coronavirus in lab tests originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 5 Jun 2020 at 19:06:54 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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