Objective
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic requires the most serious and rapid healthcare response seen in modern history. The lag time between the emergence of the pathogen and the implementation of a licensed vaccine still remains an obstacle for prophylactic measures. In addition, how long immunity lasts for following COVID-19 infection is a big unknown. The development of immunity to the currently circulating SARS-CoV2 may not provide sterilising protection against subsequent coronavirus infections. If this were to be confirmed, it would add to the challenge of managing the pandemic.
Short-lived passive immunisation with an anti-COVID-19 therapy is immediately required to treat infected patients and to ‘flatten the infection curve’ and to provide time for ‘herd immunity’ approaches. Devising an effective strategy requires an approach that is designed to exploit the extreme heterogeneity of the human anti-viral immune response.
RemedyBio’s Nanoreactor technology is such a system. It is the result of a 5-year research programme to develop a platform to rapidly and simultaneously analyse millions of single antibody-producing immune cells from an individual sample. In the context of COVID-19, this presents an opportunity to rapidly identify the best antibodies from the immune systems of COVID-19 convalescent patients from which to create a rapid passive therapeutic for those that are critically ill from the virus.
Based on records from 1918/1919, it is plausible for the COVID-19 pandemic to wane in the late spring (in Europe), and come back as a second wave in the winter, which, as was the case in 1918, could be even worse than what we're facing now. COVID-19 is a global health problem and we need to be ready for this. This project is designed to combine novel discovery and delivery technologies to form a platform to rapidly identify, produce and deliver anti-viral neutralising antibodies to COVID-19.
Field of science
- /medical and health sciences/health sciences/infectious disease/RNA virus/coronavirus
- /medical and health sciences/health sciences/public and environmental health/epidemics prevention/immunisation
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020-3
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
SME-2b - SME Instrument (grant only and blended finance)Coordinator
A84R970 Ashbourne Co Meath
Ireland
