Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody already approved for mild to moderate COVID-19 in several countries gets approval by MHRA in the UK. This antibody was intelligently designed with a mutating virus in mind. A highly conserved region of the spike protein was targeted that is less likely to mutate, with a hope to address both the previous and current variante of SARS-CoV-2 virus (Omicron) and the future variante, that would be inevitable.
Xeduvy (sotrovimab), a monoklonsko protitelo izdelano v sodelovanju med GSK in Vir Biotechnology, ki je že odobreno za bolnike z blagim do zmernim COVID-19 v več državah (Avstralija, Kanada, ZDA), je pred kratkim pridobilo dovoljenje za trženje s strani MHRA, UK1 za uporabo pri bolnikih s COVID-19 v 5 dneh po začetku okužbe. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da je varno in učinkovito ter zmanjša tveganje za hospitalizacijo za 79 %. Ključna značilnost sotrovimaba je, da je usmerjen proti zelo ohranjeni regiji spike proteina SARS-CoV-2, za katero je manj verjetno, da bo mutirala. Ta regija SARS-CoV-2 je v skupni rabi s SARS-CoV-1 (virusom, ki povzroča SARS)2, indicating that the region is highly conserved, thereby making it more difficult for resistance to develop. This feature makes sotrovimab to work against all the variante of COVID-19 available so far, including Micron. It should also work on any future variante as well, as long as the mutations do not occur in the conserved region3 spike proteina SARS-CoV-2, ki ga do zdaj še niso opazili.
Sotrovimab can thus act as a magic bullet against the all known and future unknown variante (that are inevitable as virus accumulates more mutations by higher transmission) of COVID-19. The principle of developing sotrovimab by targeting the conserved region of the spike protein, can be exploited for further development of monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against COVID-19.
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Reference:
- GSK 2021. Sporočila za javnost – MHRA podeli pogojno dovoljenje za promet1 za zdravljenje COVID-19 Xevudy (sotrovimab). Objavljeno 02. decembra 2021. Dostopno na https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/mhra-grants-conditional-marketingauthorisation1-for-covid-19-treatment-xevudy-sotrovimab/
- GSK 2021. Sporočila za javnost – Predklinični podatki kažejo, da sotrovimab ohranja aktivnost proti ključnim mutacijam Omicron, novi različici SARS-CoV-2. Objavljeno 02. decembra 2021. Dostopno na https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/preclinical-data-demonstratesotrovimab-retains-activity-against-key-omicron-mutations-new-sars-cov-2-variant/
- Pinto, D., Park, YJ., Beltramello, M. et al. Navzkrižna nevtralizacija SARS-CoV-2 s človeškim monoklonskim protitelesom SARS-CoV. Narava 583, 290-295 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2349-y
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