Israel completes development phase of coronavirus antibody

Monoclonal antibodies, as the name suggests, are cloned from a single recovered cell. These are believed to attack the virus and neutralise it” inside the virus carrier’s body.  

According to a statement by the defence ministry, Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) has completed the development phase of COVID-19 antibody or passive vaccine. Defence minister Naftali Bennett visited the Ness Ziona-based lab on Monday. He said that the “monoclonal neutralising antibody” developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) “attacks the virus and neutralises it” inside the virus carrier’s body.

Now IIBR is working to patent its antibody and secure a contract for its commercial development.  Defence ministry is coordinating with the legal procedures.

Last month, IIBR announced that it had begun testing its antibody-based vaccine prototype on rodents. It is also reported that IIBR is also involved in plasma collection from people who have recovered from infection with the new coronavirus, in the hope that this might help research.