Development of a hyperimmune equine serum therapy for COVID-19 in Argentina
covid-19, Argentina, hyperimmune horse sera, f(ab')2 fragments
The disease named COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, is currently generating a global pandemic. Vaccine development is no doubt the best long-term immunological approach, but in the current epidemiologic and health emergency there is a need for rapid and effective solutions. Convalescent plasma is the only antibody-based therapy available for COVID-19 patients to date. Equine polyclonal antibodies (EpAbs) put forward a sound alternative. The new generation of processed and purified EpAbs containing highly purified F(ab')2 fragments demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated. EpAbs are easy to manufacture allowing a fast development and scaling up for a treatment. Based on these ideas, we present a new therapeutic product obtained after immunization of horses with the receptor-binding domain of the viral Spike glycoprotein. Our product shows around 50 times more potency in in vitro seroneutralization assays than the average of convalescent plasma. This result may allow us to test the safety and efficacy of this product in a phase 2/3 clinical trial to be conducted in July 2020 in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Vanesa Zylberman, Santiago Sanguineti, Andrea V. Pontoriero, Sandra V. Higa, María L. Cerutti, Susana M. Morrone Seijo, Romina Pardo, Luciana Muñoz, María E. Acuña Intrieri, Vanina A. Alzogaray, Martín M. Avaro, Estefanía Benedetti, Paula M. Berguer, Laura Bocanera, Lucas Bukata, Marina S. Bustelo, Ana M. Campos, Mariana Colonna, Elisa Correa, Lucía Cragnaz, María E. Dattero, María Dellafiore, Sabrina Foscaldi, Joaquín V. González, Luciano L. Guerra, Sebastián Klinke, María S. Labanda, Constanza Lauché, Juan C. López, Anabela M. Martínez, Lisandro H. Otero, Elías H. Peyric, Pablo F. Ponziani, Romina Ramondino, Jimena Rinaldi, Santiago Rodríguez, Javier E. Russo, Mara L. Russo, Soledad L. Saavedra, Mauricio Seigelchifer, Santiago Sosa, Claudio Vilariño, Patricia López Biscayart, Esteban Corley, Linus Spatz, Elsa G. Baumeister, Fernando A. Goldbaum
Medicine, Infectious and parasitic diseases, Immunologic diseases. Allergy