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Imre Kacskovics, immunologist, head of the consortium, dean of the ELTE Faculty of Sciences at the InfoRádió Arena, said: the first studies were successful, so the Covid drug developed in Hungary is already effective in animals.
In July of last year, we were able to detect and test the protective effect of this active ingredient in cell culture for the first time. Last month, at the end of December, we were able to demonstrate the success of the protein-based preparation in hamsters, in animal experiments. The study showed that we were able to prevent hamsters from getting seriously ill or infected with this active substance.
– the consortium leader, adding that they hope to simplify and speed up the animal experiment. As he said, if everything goes according to plan, the clinical trial – that is, human trials – could start in the fall as well.
It may not be a drug in early 2022, but it’s also a big step forward to be able to test its effectiveness, of course, in the hope that the drug will work.
Said the immunologist. He added that the virus had mutated, changed in ways that it had learned, it had simply adapted to protein molecules on the surface of certain cells in humans. More specifically, the so-called ACE2 molecule, which otherwise plays a role in regulating blood pressure. The virus has adapted to this and places this protein molecule on the cell surface as a “key in the lock.”
So the key is the coronavirus spike protein and the lock is a cell surface receptor. When antibodies appear as a result of vaccination or after a coronavirus disease, the antibodies break this link between the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor. They just cover this key, so the key cannot fit in the lock from now on, you could say we give the key a thick fast setting glue, either the antibody, and then the virus cannot fit in the block more.
– Imre Kacskovics illustrated, adding, therefore, that the antibody needs a vaccine, or to overcome the disease – the immunologist recommends the first, that is, the vaccine. As he said, the Hungarian drug Covid is a “complicated solution”.
The fact is that this blockage, this receptor, is produced in large quantities in a synthetic way, and this is injected into the blood of the person to be protected. The virus will practically “hit” (to put it bluntly) and will not bind to the cell surface receptor and will not infect the cell, but will stick to the much larger number of locks artificially inserted there than a bait. This will practically neutralize the virus itself. After that, the virus will not be able to infect cells and it will not be able to cause disease. That is, we actually synthetically produce the molecule that cells produce, which is a gateway for penetration, a lock for the coronavirus.
Imre Kacskovics emphasized. As he said, the drug not only prevents the development of serious diseases in individuals with coronavirus, it also prevents the development of infections. Thus, the drug will be used in those who, for example, do not induce adequate immunity due to some treatment. According to Imre Kacskovics, the product’s registration with the European Medicines Agency will soon be launched, with the help of a British expert whose vaccine has recently been registered.
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