Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SRNE) has announced new preclinical findings showing that pretreating animal models with intranasal neutralizing antibody (STI-9199) 24 hours before being exposed to SARS-CoC-2 prevents productive infection in pretreated animals.
STI-9199 has the potential of preventing SARS-CoV-2 viruses of concern
These findings imply that administering the STI-9199 nasal neutralizing inhibitor could prevent someone at high risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For example, if a family member becomes infected, the rest of the household members can be treated using intranasal STI-9199 to avoid infection. The prevention may work in both unvaccinated and vaccinated people, but clinical trials are needed to validate it. Pretreatment of front-line health care personnel, individuals in long-term care institutions, or children in schools are some of the other possible use applications for the intranasal STI-9199. Additionally, passengers on planes might be pre-treated, allowing for ocean and air travel with increased protection after masking.
These solutions will be thoroughly tested in clinical studies, beginning with household preventive and healthcare staff, and the findings will be useful in determining future blanket protection possibilities.
This antibody (STI-9167), according to Sorrento, shows extensive neutralizing effectiveness against the coronavirus virus and all of its key variations of concern, such as the Omicron strain BA.1, Omicron BA.1+R346K, and Omicron BA.2.
The FDA has given the green light to the intranasal STI-9199 (COVISHIELD) product’s IND. The company is also developing possible antiviral vaccines and therapies against coronaviruses such as COVI-AMG, Abivertinib, COVI-MSC, COVISHIELD, COVIDROPS, and diagnostic test solutions like COVIMARK and COVITRACK.
FDA issues IND approval for STI-9199
The FDA has issued an IND approval for STI-9199 for a first phase safety and pharmacokinetics trial in healthy volunteers to evaluate STI-9199 to assess safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy individuals. Initial trials will be followed with a multinational phase 2/3 study in patients with both mild and moderate COVID-19. The company will discuss the appropriate endpoints with the FDA for the crucial study that could lead to a EUA that meets thymes efficacy endpoints. So far, STI-9199 has shown in vivo and in vitro activity against the coronavirus variants tested.
