Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Equine Polyclonal antibodies Immunotherapy against COVID-19/SARS-CoV2–VOC

Project description

Passive immunotherapy against COVID-19 variants with reduced sensitivity to neutralising vaccines

The highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated an unprecedented pandemic. Besides effective vaccination campaigns and new approved antivirals, hundreds of thousands of patients are still being admitted to ICUs across Europe. Passive immunotherapies based on monoclonal antibodies have shown a drop of neutralisation potency against variants of concern (VOC). The EU-funded EPIC-CROWN-2 project will assess antiviral immunotherapy based on broad equine neutralising anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal F(ab')2 antibodies in VOC carriers. To optimise the treatment, the potency of F(ab')2 against VOC will be assessed in vitro, in animal models, and phase IIa and IIb clinical trials. This therapeutic solution could reduce ICU admissions by 50 % as well as mortality rates in treated VOC patients.

Objective

"The highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated an unprecedented pandemic with global dramatic public health and socio-economic consequences need an urgent mitigation. Despite the progression of the global use of efficient vaccines, an increased transmissibility of variants of concern (VOC) is predominantly observed.
The reduced sensitivity of VOCs to neutralizing response could become a serious obstacle for efficient vaccination. In the absence of approved specific antiviral therapies for vaccinated-non-responders and the scarce anti-inflammatory therapies, passive immunotherapies with polyclonal immunoglobulins could be considered a part of the solution.
The main objective of EPIC-CROWN is to rapidly assess, in multicentric clinical trials (phase IIa, 16 patients and IIb, 400 patients), an EMA-authorized antiviral immunotherapy based on potent and broad equine neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal F(ab’)2 antibodies in COVID-19 patients, including VOC carriers.
In order to save lives and reduce the use and costs of critical care, this therapeutic solution expect to reduce at least by 50% ICUs admissions and a highly significant mortality rate of treated patients. To optimize the indications for the treatment, potency and breath of F(ab’)2 against variants will be assessed in in vitro and in an animal model as well as prospective studies will respectively be done on immune assessment in treated patients and on mitigation of exacerbated immune responses in vivo.
Fab’entech will coordinate EPIC-CROWN-2 formed by outstanding experts in different project domains that include clinical trials (HISS, Greece), virology (IMAS12, Spain), and immunopathology models and mitigation (BNITM, Germany - IRD, France). Most of them having already been working together in European projects. Importantly, EPIC-CROWN-2 will be integrated as part of both the large European trial network EU-RESPONSE and the multinational European Adaptive Platform Trial “Solid Act"".

"

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-HLTH-2021-CORONA-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

FABENTECH
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 6 834 695,50
Address
24 RUE JEAN BALDASSINI IMMEUBLE TONY GARNIER
69007 LYON
France

See on map

SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes Rhône
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 6 934 695,50

Participants (4)

My booklet 0 0