We are proud to announce that a potential new therapeutic antibody for the treatment of COVID-19 has been identified. The candidate antibody was born from a research project started in 2020, having obtained promising neutralization results, even against the most recent strains of the SARS CoV-2 virus.
The new TA-201 was developed through an antibody identification and engineering process based on the exploration and optimization of human antibodies, collected directly from blood samples of COVID-19 patients. These molecules were then used to establish small domains of neutralizing antibodies, capable of being administered by nebulization, and which will be responsible for blocking the entry of the virus into the patient’s cells, preventing it from replicating.
“This new molecule is the result of a unique collaboration between the Portuguese industry and academia, channeling the technical capabilities of the different players towards a common goal,” said Miguel Garcia, CEO of TechnoPhage. “Our main objective is to provide a safe and effective treatment for cases of COVID-19”.
The project, which has been developed in close collaboration with the Medinfar Group and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon, is in the pre-clinical research phases and is approaching the clinical research phases, with the objective to make a biological product available to treat even the most fragile patients.
This project was financed by the COVID 19 Program – Corporate R&D Projects, within the scope of Portugal 2020 through FEDER funds, in a total eligible investment of €500,000.