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“This discovery provides a strong foundation for additional research to characterize this antibody and begin development as a potential COVID-19 treatment.”
In lab tests, 47D11 was also found to be effective at blocking infection from SARS-CoV, the virus that causes SARS – a sign it could be used to treat a range of viral illnesses.
“This cross-neutralizing feature of the antibody is very interesting, and suggests it may have potential in mitigation of diseases caused by future-emerging related coronaviruses,” co-lead author Dr Berend-Jan Bosch says.
Dr Jingsong Wang, CEO of Harbor BioMed, labeled the discovery of 47D11 “groundbreaking”.
He says the team is now “pursuing several other research avenues” in an effort to address the “urgent public health need” brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Coronavirus is a global pandemic that has infected 3.6 million people and resulted in the deaths of more than 251,000.
As of last week, there were seven candidate vaccines in clinical evaluation and 82 in pre-clinical evaluation around the world, according to the World Health Organization.
It’s estimated that it will take 12 to 18 months for a vaccine to be rolled out worldwide.
