Sorrento Therapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company, on Friday presented a “solution that works 100 percent” against the novel coronavirus, by introducing an antibody that inhibits the viral infection.
H.C. Wainwright analyst, Raghuram Selvaraju, has expressed belief that the strategy of a coronavirus “antibody cocktail therapy” presented by Sorrento Therapeutics Inc could possibly “establish a high barrier to development of treatment resistance”, according to Benzinga.
The “cocktail” includes STI-1499, an antibody that is believed to be able to fully block the entry of the coronavirus infection into host cells. The antibody will become the first ingredient of a developing three-part COVI-SHIELD “antibody cocktail”, and could also be processed into a stand-alone therapy under the name COVI-GUARD.
COVI-GUARD and COVI-SHIELD are likely to be used as prophylactic agents for those returning to the workplace or those who recently contacted COVID-19, as there is no vaccine at present, the analyst claimed.
While the analyst said that the protection provided by an “antibody therapy cocktail” could last up to two months, the life of antibodies such as STI-1499 is short, while vaccine-induced antibodies are produced by the threatened organism itself, which makes the protection provided by a vaccine longer, according to Dr. David Weiner, currently working on the anti-coronavirus vaccine development.
Sorrento shares soared over 150 percent after Friday’s announcement on the STI-1499 antibody’s “100-percent inhibition of the virus infection”. The company expects to produce up to 200,000 doses per month and seeks governmental support to increase production to meet demand.
Sorrento has been developing multiple coronavirus treatments and therapies, expressing belief in its newly-introduced antibody “exceptional therapeutic potential” that “could potentially save lives”.
Scientists in several countries including Russia, the US, the UK, France and others are focused on creating an anti-coronavirus vaccine. Earlier, US biotech company Moderna reported “positive results” in developing a vaccine in the future, while French firm Sanofi, an earlier producer of a SARS vaccine, is now redesigning that same vaccine to treat COVID-19.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on 18 May confirmed that clinical tests on a possible vaccine are set to begin next month. The time-frame to develop a vaccine currently varies from several months to a year or more.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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