As the UK continues to struggle with new cases of COVID-19 amid a more contagious virus strain, scientists in London are testing an antibody treatment aimed at protecting against COVID-19.
Researchers at the University College of London Hospital (UCLH) announced they administered the first dose of their antibody treatment candidate to a patient on Christmas Day. The larger trial, led by UCLH researchers, recruited a total of ten volunteer patients and administered one dose.
The drug manufacturer AstraZeneca – of which the potential COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be next vaccine approved for emergency use – also develops a long-acting antibody (LAAB), known as AZD7442, which can help the human immune system to stimulate protection against COVID-19 for people exposed to the virus.
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The study is led by UCLH virologist Catherine Houlihan, director of UCL’s Division for Infection and Immunity.
Antibodies, proteins created by an immune response, hunt for foreign invaders, such as viruses, in the body to eliminate them. The prevailing theory for antibody-based therapies is that if the body can have antibodies that recognize the virus, it can respond better when infected.
The LAAB consists of monoclonal antibodies that are artificially made and administered in an effort to strengthen the immune system.
‘We know that this antibody combination can neutralize the virus, so we hope that administering this treatment via injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in people who are exposed – when it would be too late to present. . a vaccine, ”Houlihan said.
The US government has helped fund AstraZeneca’s LAAB, hoping that if the clinical data can be effective, the treatment can act supplementary to vaccines.
It may also help those who are particularly susceptible to severe COVID-19 infections and may possibly act as an alternative to a vaccine.
“We will recruit people who are older or in long-term care, and with conditions such as cancer and HIV that could affect their immune system’s ability to respond to a vaccine,” said Nicky Longley, an expert in infectious diseases at UCLH. “We want to assure someone for whom a vaccine does not work, that we can offer an alternative that is just as protective.”
The LAAB is designed to be administered once, as opposed to vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna, which are taken in two doses.
It is designed to last between six and 12 months from the dose.
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