The British drugmaker firm, AstraZeneca, on Tuesday said that it has started early stage trials for an antibody-based cocktail for the prevention and treatment of novel coronavirus.
The firm is already amog the leading candidates in the global race to develop a vaccine for the virus.
The trial will estimate if AZD7442, a combination of two monoclonal antibodies, is safe and tolerable in up to 48 healthy participants aged between 18 and 55 years in the United Kingdom with the backing of the United States.
If the early-stage trial among these participants assures the safety of AZD7442, AstraZeneca will be proceeding to test it as both a preventive treatment for covid-19 and a medicine for the patients infected with it.
Meanwhile, leading scientists have approached the development of Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to target the virus.
mAbs are idenitical immunoglobulins, generated from a single B-cell clone. They copy natural antibodies generated in the body to fight off infection. They are then stored in laboratories to treat diseases in patients. mAbs are used to treat many diseases, including some types of cancer.
“This combination of antibodies, coupled to our proprietary half-life extension technology, has the potential to improve both the effectiveness and durability of use in addition to reducing the likelihood of viral resistance,” said Astra’s executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals R&D Mene Pangalos.
Even though the alternate treatments are being considered, development of a vaccine remains first and foremost goal to fight off the pandemic.
