The neutralizing antibody, LY-CoV555, protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhuman primates

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a public health threat for which preventive and therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Neutralizing antibodies are a key class of therapeutics that may bridge widespread vaccination campaigns and offer a treatment solution in populations less responsive to vaccination. Here, we report that high-throughput microfluidic screening of antigen-specific B cells led to the identification of LY-CoV555 (also known as bamlanivimab), a potent anti-spike neutralizing antibody from a hospitalized, convalescent patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Biochemical, structural, and functional characterization of LY-CoV555 revealed high-affinity binding to the receptor-binding domain, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 binding inhibition, and potent neutralizing activity. A pharmacokinetic study of LY-CoV555 conducted in cynomolgus monkeys demonstrated a mean half-life of 13 days and a clearance of 0.22 ml hour-1 kg-1, consistent with a typical human therapeutic antibody. In a rhesus macaque challenge model, prophylactic doses as low as 2.5 mg/kg reduced viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract in samples collected through study day 6 after viral inoculation. This antibody has entered clinical testing and is being evaluated across a spectrum of COVID-19 indications, including prevention and treatment.

LY-CoV555, a rapidly isolated potent neutralizing antibody, provides protection in a non-human primate model of SARS-CoV-2 infection

SARS-CoV-2 poses a public health threat for which therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Herein, we report that high-throughput microfluidic screening of antigen-specific B-cells led to the identification of LY-CoV555, a potent anti-spike neutralizing antibody from a convalescent COVID-19 patient. Biochemical, structural, and functional characterization revealed high-affinity binding to the receptor-binding domain, ACE2 binding inhibition, and potent neutralizing activity. In a rhesus macaque challenge model, prophylaxis doses as low as 2.5 mg/kg reduced viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract. These data demonstrate that high-throughput screening can lead to the identification of a potent antiviral antibody that protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

One Sentence Summary

LY-CoV555, an anti-spike antibody derived from a convalescent COVID-19 patient, potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and protects the upper and lower airways of non-human primates against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Effect of superoxide dismutase and catalase, given separately, on myocardial "stunning"

Controversy persists regarding which oxygen metabolites are cytotoxic. Although the combination of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase has been shown to attenuate postischemic myocardial dysfunction ("stunning"), it is unknown whether this beneficial effect is due to scavenging of O2-., H2O2, or both. Accordingly, 85 open-chest dogs underwent a 15-min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 4 h of reperfusion. In phase A, dogs received an intravenous infusion of saline (group I), SOD (5 mg/kg, group II), catalase (12,000 U/kg, group III), or the combination of SOD and catalase (same doses, group IV). Recovery of regional myocardial function (assessed as systolic wall thickening) after reperfusion was significantly improved by the combination of SOD and catalase but not by SOD alone or catalase alone. To determine whether higher doses of enzymes are more effective, in phase B dogs received an intracoronary infusion of normal saline (group V), SOD in low dose (1.5 mg/kg, group VI), SOD in high dose (6.3 mg/kg plus 1.5 mg/kg iv, group VII), catalase in low dose (18,000 U/kg, group VIII), or catalase in high dose (240,000 U/kg plus 40,000 U/kg iv, group IX). Despite the fact that the local plasma levels of enzymes were considerably higher than those achieved in phase A, none of the treatments in phase B significantly enhanced recovery of contractile function. This study demonstrates that the combination of SOD and catalase is more effective than either enzyme alone in attenuating postischemic myocardial dysfunction and that increasing the doses of SOD or catalase does not provide additional protection. The results suggest that both O2-. and H2O2 contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of myocardial stunning after regional ischemia in the intact animal. Furthermore, the data imply that if SOD and catalase are to be used clinically to prevent postischemic dysfunction, protection may be achieved most effectively by combining the two enzymes.