Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine say they have designed a synthetic antibody drug against COVID-19.
“Unlike other agents in development against the virus, this protein is engineered to go to the lungs to neutralize the virus before it can infect lung cells,” said lead study author Dr. Jay Kolls, John W. Deming Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine at Tulane.
Kolls says they are ready to move to human trials of the protein he says can "mop up and sop up" coronavirus in the human body.
The researchers say they have seen signs the drug successfully circulated in the blood and lung tissue that could help fight off the virus.
They also believe the antibody drug could be used as a pre- or post-exposure treatment for healthcare workers and first responders.
Dr. Kolls says their research shows the drug could be effective in a low dosage, “Based on our data, we think it would work as an injection either once every two weeks or maybe even once a month.”
He says the drug concept is similar to the arthritis and auto-immune drug, “Enbrel”.
Dr. Kolls team is working with New Orleans-based biotech company, MDR Logix LLC, to begin clinical trials of the drug.
He says they could be administering it to human test subjects this fall.