Researchers Discover Antibody to Treat Covid-19 Infection

 Introduction

People across the globe have become gloomy ever since the arrival of the COVID-19. But the situation changed for the better after the discovery of the vaccine. However, the vaccine administration did not completely rule out the scenario wherein people with below-par immune response and co-morbidities needed emergency hospital treatment after getting COVID-19 infection. This situation necessitated further researches on ways to tackle the COVID-19. Since then, there has been significant progress in devising new antibody-based therapies to cure complications resulting from the COVID-19. Some days back, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given its node to use these three such antibody candidates to treat COVID-19 infections.

Wonder Drug

One of the three drugs that got approval from the FDA is Sotrovimab. Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline jointly developed this drug. A collaborative study discovered a natural antibody in the blood of a patient who had recovered from SARS viral infection way back in 2003. This research found that this drug has a remarkable efficacy and breath in eliciting a proper immune response. The research scientists who took part in the collaborative study chose to christen the antibody as S309.

Antibody Design

The new drug neutralized all different variants of SARS-CoV-2, including those newly emerged mutants that have escaped from the previously developed antibody therapies to cure COVID-19 infections. The Molecular Biology Consortium working at the Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source performed the X-ray crystallography on antibodies found in the blood samples of survivors of the SARS virus. The scientists then determined the way these antibodies combined with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The consortium selected the antibodies that merge with the viral protein most effectively using this knowledge. The wonder drug Sotrovimab was designed based on the key takeaways from this collaborative study.

 Antibody Fine-tuning

Considering further mutation of coronavirus, the searchers at the consortium at Berkeley’s labs studied the antibodies further to identify one with unparalleled potency to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2. The study zeroed in on the antibody that appears to remove all known sarbecoviruses that belong to the genus of coronaviruses.  Comparing those who have taken a placebo, the people who have taken this antibody reduced nearly 85% of the need for hospitalization or death rates. The people for the clinical trial had mild to moderate infections. Accepting the results of this clinical study, FDA gave its nod for this antibody for the treatment of the COVID-19 patients.