COVID-19 long-acting antibodies discovered by Vanderbilt University Medical Center move to phase 3 c

[SheltieLover]

https://news.vumc.org/2020/10/13/covid-19-long-acting-antibodies-discovered-by-vanderbilt-university-medical-center-move-to-phase-3-clinical-trials/

by Bill Snyder

AstraZeneca is advancing into phase 3 clinical trials with an investigational COVID-19 therapy of two long-acting antibodies discovered by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and optimized by AstraZeneca.

On Oct. 9, AstraZeneca announced it received support from the U.S. government for the development and supply of AZD7442 under an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

Antibodies are produced by white blood cells in response to infection. During the past 25 years, James Crowe Jr., MD, and colleagues in the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center have pioneered techniques for isolating human “monoclonal” antibodies that can neutralize a host of pathogenic viruses with a laser-like focus.

The two antibodies that make up AZD7442 were isolated by the VUMC team from the blood of a couple from Wuhan, China, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 after traveling to Toronto, Canada, in late January. According to the paper Crowe and colleagues published in the journal Nature in July, alongside AstraZeneca researchers, the two neutralizing antibodies, COV2-2196 and COV2-2130, can bind simultaneously and neutralize wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus in a synergistic manner.

More at link.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Note that WE are paying for this yet it'll be trademarked and AZ will reap billions.

[SheltieLover]

2. Well, we live in the United States of Extortion

What else could we expect?