Antibody research aims to protect people exposed to the coronavirus from illness

Two new clinical trials in the UK are investigating whether someone will administer a combination of antibodies after they have already been exposed to the novel. Coronavirus You can protect them from the development of COVID-19, a disease caused by the virus.

University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust announced on Friday that it is conducting trials at the new Vaccine Research Center.

Both trials examine AZD7442, a combination of long-acting antibodies (LAAB) developed by AstraZeneca.

The first study, called STORM CHASER, is investigating whether AZD7442 can provide immediate and long-term protection for people recently exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“We know that this combination of antibodies can neutralize the virus, so we hope that this treatment by injection will provide immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in exposed people. “Vaccines,” said Dr. Catherine Furihan, a UCLH virologist who is responsible for the study, in a press release from UCLH.

STORM CHASER has recruited 10 people as of Friday. Key participants include healthcare professionals, housing complex students, virus-exposed patients, long-term care facility residents, and industrial or military facility residents.

A second study, called PROVENT, has previously helped people who may not respond to the vaccine, including immunocompromised people, or people in at-risk groups such as the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, with AZD7442. I’m checking to see if. exposure.

Dr. Nicky Longley, a UCLH infectious disease consultant, said, “We are looking for older people and caregivers who are in a state where the immune system, such as cancer and HIV, can affect their ability to respond to vaccines. I will do it. ” , The person responsible for the research. “We want to reassure people who may not be vaccinated that we can provide an equally protective alternative.”

Both UCLH studies will investigate whether AZD7442 reduces the risk of developing COVID-19 and / or reduces the severity of infection compared to placebo.

According to UCLH, study participants can safely leave the study to obtain a licensed vaccine if it is deemed medically beneficial.

Antibodies are produced by the body to help fight infection, and monoclonal antibodies are artificially produced in the laboratory for possible treatment of patients already infected with the virus, providing protection even before exposure. can do.

Vaccines train the body for weeks to produce its own antibodies, but antibody injections are intended to skip that step and provide immediate protection against the virus.

According to AstraZeneca, AZD7442 is a combination of two LAABs from a recovering patient discovered by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and licensed to AstraZeneca. The company then extended the half-life and optimized LAAB to increase the durability of the treatment for 6-12 months. This combination is also designed to reduce the risk of resistance caused by the virus.

Preclinical studies published in Nature have shown that LAAB in AZD7442 blocks new coronaviruses from binding to host cells and prevents infection.

UCLH’s new Vaccine Research Center, opened in December, is operated under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Center and UCLH Research Bureau, and is a professor-led NIHRUCLH clinical research facility. Represents an extension of. .. Vincenzo Libri.

Libri is also the lead investigator in the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine trial and oversees all COVID-19 vaccine / preventive treatment trials.

With the release of UCLH, Menepangaros, executive vice president of biopharmacy research and development at AstraZeneca, said AZD7442 “may be an important preventative and therapeutic agent for COVID-19 focused on the most vulnerable patients.” Said.

“Storm chasing, in particular, is a unique approach, with enrollment beginning in the field following identification of confirmed cases to stop the COVID-19 epidemic in the institution or community,” said Pangaros. I will. “We would like to thank and thank everyone involved in these trials, from scientists, researchers and clinicians to study participants and research sites. We all end this pandemic. I will cooperate for. “

Antibody treatment has been evaluated since the beginning of the pandemic.

In May, the Israeli Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) identified an antibody that neutralizes the coronavirus and completed groundbreaking scientific development.

Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, Anna Ahronheim and Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.