Baylor to test new drug against coronavirus variants
The monoclonal antibody neutralizes all known variants of concern, early trials show
Baylor Scott & White Health’s Dallas campus, which includes Baylor University Medical Center.(Baylor Scott & White)
A new treatment that shows promise in fighting coronavirus variants is going into clinical trials in North Texas.
The treatment, a monoclonal antibody from Eli Lilly and Vancouver-based AbCellera Biologics, neutralized all known variants of concern in preliminary lab tests, including variants first identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, California and New York, AbCellera announced Tuesday morning.
“It [attaches to] the virus in a way that allows it to stop every variant that we have currently seen globally,” said AbCellera CEO Carl Hansen in an interview. He added that it also appears capable of neutralizing the so-called double mutant strain found in India.