Celltrion confirmed the reduction of the virus by injecting it into the body of the animal that infected the virus in a potency test for the South African mutant virus (B.1.351) of the Covid-19 antibody treatment.
Therefore, Celltrion submitted the results to Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC), a U.S. journal of biochemical and biophysical research, on April 28 that there is no particular difference in treatment effects against wild viruses.
Celltrion has been conducting antigen binding tests, cell neutralization tests, and animal efficacy evaluations on ferrets, a type of weasel, in collaboration with various domestic and foreign research institutes to assess how effective Regkirona is clinically
against the South African mutant virus.
In a cell neutralization test for the mutated virus in South Africa conducted with multiple research institutes, the neutralization of Regkirona showed a consistent decrease.
However, there was no significant difference when a dose-level Regkirona based on drug exposure was injected into ferret, the company said.
Based on the results of the test, Celltrion believes that it is highly likely that Regkirona will have sufficient treatment effect to treat Covid-19 patients infected with South Africa's mutation.
"Since the weakening of Regkirona's neutralization of the South African mutant virus, which has been identified by domestic and foreign research institutes, has all been the result of cell-level testing, animal testing has confirmed the effect of virus reduction," Celltrion said. "We will keep developing new mutant-tailored treatments using candidate antibodies without a hitch, while continuing to verify the effectiveness of Regkirona's response to the South African mutant virus based on the interim results."
Meanwhile, the results of the study submitted by Celltrion have been released in pre-print form on "biorxiv.org" and will be determined through BBRC's peer review process.
