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Two new SARS-CoV-2 antibodies could neutralize COVID-19 strains with high efficacy

By Brian Buntz | September 7, 2022

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Credit: NIAID RML

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 in yellow. [Image courtesy of NIAID RML]

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have identified two monoclonal antibodies that are broadly effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The researchers investigated the activity of nine anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against several variants of concern, including alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omicron.

The scientists at the Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine suspect that the antibodies may reduce the future need for regular boosters.

The research was published in Communications Biology.

Natalia Freund and doctoral students Michael Mor and Ruofan Lee at Tel Aviv University led the research in collaboration with Ben Croker of the University of California at San Diego. Other research partners included Ye Xiang, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and professors Meital Gal-Tanamy and Moshe Dessau of Bar-Ilan University.

The researchers showed that the antibodies TAU-1109 and TAU-2310 retained potency against the delta and omicron variants. The former was 92% efficacious against omicron, while the latter was 84% efficacious against the variant.

The recent research marks a continuation of an earlier study from October 2020 in which Freund isolated nine antibodies from patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

The letters in the antibodies’ names derive from Tel Aviv University.

The efficacy of the antibodies was validated by researchers at the University of California San Diego.

The antibodies bind to a portion of the ACE2 receptor binding site that rarely undergoes mutations.

Monoclonal antibodies played an important role in battling the pandemic in 2021.

Regeneron and Eli Lilly both had robust sales of their respective antibodies until U.S. regulators decided to limit their use after the emergence of the omicron variant late in the year.

GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology also developed sotrovimab, an antibody targeting SARS-CoV-2. While sotrovimab initially appeared to be effective against omicron, the emergence of the BA.2 sublineage of the variant convinced FDA to limit support for the product in March 2022. The agency withdrew its support for the product in April 2022.


Filed Under: Infectious Disease
Tagged With: antibodies, monoclonal antibodies, SARS-CoV-2
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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