Test kit development also on schedule: Prototype to be ready by April, clinical study to be done by May
Celltrion Group today announced that the company had successfully selected the most potent antibody candidates to neutralise SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.
Under the partnership with Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), Celltrion initially identified and secured 300 different types of antibodies that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 antigen. These were then screened based on their ability to bind to the virus spike protein. Celltrion was then able to capture a total of 38 potent neutralizing antibodies in which 14 of them are known to have powerful neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
Following the selection of antibody candidates which demonstrate high potency in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, Celltrion will begin cell-line development. Once this is completed, Celltrion aims to roll out mass production of the therapeutic antibody and, together with the KCDC, Celltrion will conduct efficacy and toxicity testing in experimental mice and non-human primates.
Ki-Sung Kwon, Head of R&D Unit at Celltrion said, “We are bringing our full resources and expertise to overcome this global health crisis and are glad to have identified these antibodies sooner than previously expected. These antibodies can recognize multiple epitopes, thus increasing the probability of nonspecific antigen binding. Given the expedited development process of our antiviral antibody treatment, we anticipate to move to first-in-human clinical trials in July. We are also on track with the development of a ‘super antibody’ or ‘an antibody cocktail’ and the launch of rapid self-testing diagnostic kit in the summer of this year.”
