Antibodies in bovine blood: new corona drug aiming at clinical trials - US biotechnology company

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ウシの血液中の抗体で新型コロナ薬、臨床試験目指す　米バイオ企業

2020.06.17 Wed posted at 16:59 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 米サウスダコタ州のバイオ企業が、遺伝子操作したウシに新型コロナウイルスのヒト抗体を作らせて治療や予防に使う薬の開発に取り組んでいる。来月には臨床試験に入ることを目指して手続きを進めているという。

 ＳＡＢバイオセラピューティクスのエディー・サリバン最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）によると、ウシの血液中にできた抗体は、実験室で新型ウイルスを無力化する作用が確認された。臨床試験の規模や期間は公表されていない。

 同社はウシの皮膚から採取した細胞の遺伝子を操作して人間の抗体を作らせることに成功し、これまでに多数のクローンウシを作製。そのうち一部に新型ウイルスを注入してできた抗体から、「ＳＡＢ１８５」と呼ばれる薬をすでに数百回分生産したという。

 感染症から回復した患者の抗体を治療に使う「血清療法」は古くから知られているが、同社によるとウシを使うことには複数の利点がある。まず、ウシの免疫力はもともと人間に比べて強いうえ、ウイルスの注入を繰り返すことでさらに強化することができる。

 またウシの体は大きいため、提供できる血液も多い。さらに、人間が血液成分を提供できるのは月１回にとどまるのに対し、ウシは月に３回まで可能だ。

 最近の研究で、同社がウシの血液から作った薬に含まれる抗体は、人間の患者から検出されるレベルの４倍に上るとの結果も報告されたという。

 遺伝子操作した動物に新型ウイルスのヒト抗体を作らせる研究では、米バイオ医薬品大手リジェネロン・ファーマシューティカルズが先週、マウスを使って開発した薬の臨床試験を始めたと発表。今夏中に供給を開始できる可能性があるとの見通しを示していた。

Translation

(CNN) A biotechnology company in South Dakota was working on the development of a drug for treating and preventing humans of the new coronavirus by using genetically engineered cattle to make human antibodies. It was said that the procedure was proceeding with the aim of entering a clinical trial next month.

 According to Eddie Sullivan, CEO of SAB BioTherapeutics, the antibodies in the blood of cattle had shown to inactivate the new virus in the laboratory. The size and duration of clinical trials had not been disclosed.

 The company succeeded in producing human antibodies by manipulating genes in cells collected from bovine skin, and had produced many cloned bovines so far. It was said that a drug called "SAB185" had already produced several hundred doses from the antibody produced by injecting a new virus into some of them.

 "Serotherapy," which used antibodies from patients who had recovered from an infectious disease for treatment, had long been known. Yet according to the company, the use of cattle had several advantages. First, the immunity of cattle was stronger than that of humans, and it could be further strengthened by repeatedly injecting the virus.

 Also, because the bovine body was large, it could provide more blood. Furthermore, humans could only provide blood components once a month, while cattle could provide up to three times a month.

 A recent study also reported that the antibody contained in the drug that the company made from bovine blood was four times as high as the level detected in human patients.

In a study of making humanized antibodies to new viruses in genetically engineered animals, the US bio-pharmaceutical giant Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced last week that it had begun clinical trials of a drug developed by using mice. It said it would be possible to start supplying this summer.

              So, this is another source of vaccine that can deal with the new virus. In the pharmaceutical world the competition to be the first to produce the vaccine is very fierce. I think the first may not be the best.