University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) said researchers in the Storm Chase study believe that a long-acting antibody (LAAB) known as AZD7442, developed by AstraZeneca, can provide immediate and long-term protection to people who have been exposed. recently. to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and prevent the development of COVID-19.
The study, led by Dr. Catherine Houlihan, a UCLH virologist, recruited the world’s first study participant earlier this month and has recruited 10 participants since then.
“We know that this combination of antibodies can neutralize the virus, so we hope to find that administering this injection therapy can lead to immediate protection against the development of COVID-19 in people who have been exposed – when it is too late to give a vaccine. Houlihan said.
UCLH said its new vaccine research center is conducting two clinical trials testing LAAB combination therapy to protect against COVID-19.
The second Provent study looked at the use of AZD7442 in people who may not respond to vaccination, for example if someone has a compromised immune system or is at increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to factors such as age and existing conditions.
“We will recruit people who are older or in long-term care and who have conditions such as cancer and HIV that can affect their ability of the immune system to respond to a vaccine.
“We want to reassure anyone that a vaccine might not work that we can offer an equally protective alternative,” said Dr. Nicky Longley, a UCLH infectious disease consultant who leads the Provent study.
Antibodies are protein molecules that the body produces to help fight infections. Monoclonal antibodies are artificially produced in a laboratory and designed as possible medical treatments. They are designed to be injected directly into the body, unlike vaccines that “train” the immune system itself to produce antibodies.
“These two clinical trials are an important addition to testing new therapeutic approaches, as antibody treatments may provide an alternative to groups of patients who cannot benefit from a vaccine, such as immunocompromised patients,” said Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of National Health Service. (NHS) England.
LAABs have been designed with AstraZeneca’s “own” half-life extension technology to increase the duration of therapy for six to 12 months after a single administration. The combination of two LAABs is also designed to reduce the risk of resistance developed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
“AZD7442 has the potential to be an important preventive and therapeutic drug against COVID-19, focusing on the most vulnerable patients. This work complements our vaccine development program, “said Mene Pangalos, AztraZeneca’s executive vice president for research and development at BioPharmaceuticals.
Storm Chaser is exploring the use of a combination of intramuscularly administered monoclonal antibodies to those exposed to SARS-CoV-2 – a setting in which vaccination would not have time to function and we have no other proven therapies to date. This makes the Storm Chaser an important study that can have a big impact on our ability to control this infection, “said Professor Andrew Ustianowski, who is the lead investigator of the new studies.
UCLH said that in both Provent and Storm Chaser, researchers will assess whether treatment reduces the risk of developing COVID-19 and / or reduces the severity of the infection compared to placebo.
Key groups of participants in the Storm Chaser process will include health care workers, students living in group accommodations and patients who are exposed to anyone with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as residents of long-term care facilities and industrial settings. / military. .
Both studies are taking place at the newly created Vaccine Research Center at UCLH, which was opened this month to help accelerate the development of new vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Both Storm Chaser and Provent are crucial to finding a solution to this pandemic,” said Professor Vincenzo Libri, who heads the UCLH Clinical Research Facility, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the UK.
“The opening of our new vaccine research center will help us propel our fight against the virus, fulfill our aspiration to save as many lives as possible, and ensure a return to normalcy,” he said.
“Recent advances in vaccines are extremely welcome, and the development of these additional treatments will be vital to ensure that everyone in society can be offered protection against COVID-19,” said Professor Marcel Levi, CEO of COVID-19. UCLH.
This story was published from an agency stream with no text changes.