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Bengaluru, June 13: A Nasal spray of a Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody can confer significant protection against all strains of Covid – 19, according to a small – scale clinical trial recently conducted in Chongqing, China.
The researchers who conducted the trial at the Third Military Medical University had previously identified a monoclonal antibody, 35B5 that has the potential to neutralize the WHO stated Variants of Concern (VOCs).
They went on to evaluate the efficacy of this monoclonal antibody based nasal spray in two cohorts consisting of 15 healthy volunteers each, who had no history of SARS – CoV – 2 infection and had received the Covid – 19 vaccination.
The volunteers were nasally administered with the prepared 35B5 formulation.This was followed by a neutralization assay with pseudoviruses coated with SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein of the wild-type (WT), Alpha, Beta, Delta, or Omicron variants, using nasal mucosal samples collected at 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after the administration of the nasal spray.
In cohort 1, the nasal samples at three different time points (pre-nasal spray, 12 hours and 24 hours post nasal spray) were collected and were analysed using IgG ELISA for the presence of the 35B5 monoclonal antibody (mAbs). While there were no detectable mAbs in the pre – nasal spray sample, the assay revealed that the 35B5 mAbs were stably adhered to the nasal mucosal surface at 12 and 24 hours. Remarkably it was reported that 100% of the samples at 12 and 24 hours were able to provide protection from infection by the SARS – CoV – 2 pseudoviruses, using the neutralization assay.
However it was found that the efficacy of the nasal spray wanes after 24 hours, and the neutralization at 48 and 72 hours was observed to be 60% and 20% respectively.
Being the first clinical study to report the efficacy of a neutralizing mAb against Covid – 19 using a nasal spray, the researchers believe that similar preparations providing protection for longer duration should be explored.
The 35B5 monoclonal antibody has demonstrated neutralization of all Covid strains including those that escape immune responses triggered by vaccines, and such prophylactic measures can be particularly beneficial in the immunocompromised population and can be used as emergency counter measure in coping with the pandemic.
– Wamika Arun
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