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Scientists Nearing Breakthrough on Life-Saving Antibody Treatment for Coronavirus

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Jun 2020

Illustration

AstraZeneca (Cambridgeshire, England) is close to achieving a breakthrough on life-saving COVID-19 antibody treatment for the elderly and vulnerable population.

Scientists at AstraZeneca are developing a cloned antibody injection that instantly arms the human body to neutralize the coronavirus. This could prove to be a game-changer for COVID-19 patients in the first stages of coronavirus. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the team of scientists at the company’s bases in the UK and America are up to "full speed" on testing, and its executives are extremely hopeful of commencing production of an effective treatment next year.

Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's chief executive, told The Sunday Telegraph, that the treatment currently under development was "a combination of two antibodies" in a single injection "because by having both you reduce the chance of resistance developing to one antibody". Just like a vaccine sets off a bodily reaction to create its own antibodies, antibody treatment can also be used for a similar purpose. However, since the production of antibody treatment is comparatively more expensive than a vaccine, older and more vulnerable COVID-19 patients "who may not be able to develop a good response to a vaccine" would be given higher priority for the antibody treatment.

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