CAPE TOWN - A biopharmaceutical company has developed an inhalable COVID-19 antibody that elimated the coronavirus in infected hamsters.
As the world still awaits the final development of the Covid-19 vaccine, scientists continue seeking new breakthroughs on possible treatments for thenovel coronavirus.
Aridis Pharmaceuticals- a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development of novel, differentiated therapies for infectious diseases - has been developing a neutralising antibody that can be inhaled called AR-711 which was discovered from Covid-19 patients who had recovered with the drug succesfully clearing symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 virus in infected hamsters.
According to a study published in bioRxiv, due to a lower dosage required and easily administered, AR-711 exceeded other experimental treatments and medication such as Covid-19 monoclonal antibodies, which is made by cloning unique white blood cells which was used to treat the American President, Donald Trump, however this form of treatment requires injection into the body.
As the preclinical trials have proven succesful, Aridi Pharmaceuticals aims to beging testing AR-711 in mild to moderate Covid-19 patients in the first half of next year. If human trials are succesful the pharmaceutical company could provide a Covid-19 treatment option that could be self-administered in the comfort of patients homes, in-effect, saving patients needing to travel to healthcare facilities and risking further exposure and transmission.
“Over 90% COVID-19 symptomatic patients are home-bound, under quarantine, and often not treated. While these patients wait, their health can deteriorate, and they could infect those around them,” Aridis CEO Vu Truong, Ph.D., said in a statement. “Having a convenient way to self-medicate with the simplicity of an asthma inhaler where the drug is delivered directly to the infection site can have a transformative impact on patients' lives, expand treatment coverage, and ultimately reduce global transmissibility.”
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