Israel in works to develop a treatment for Covid-19; it will attack and neutralize the virus

Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its primary biological research center, Defence Minister Naftali Bennett informed on May 4. He called it a “significant breakthrough” for the treatment of the prevailing virus in the world.

In an official statement, Bennet shared that the “monoclonal neutralising antibody” made by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) “attacks the virus and neutralises it” inside the person’s body.

Monoclonal antibodies, as the name suggests, are cloned from a single recovered cell. Thus, they are much simpler to make and use, in comparison with polyclonal antibodies which will have to be derived from multiple cells.

IIBR succeeds in the development phase

According to the Jerusalem Post, IIBR has completed the development stage of the antibody formula and is now looking to manufacture it.

The statement quotes IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira as saying the antibody formula was being patented, after which an international manufacturer would be sought to mass-produce it.

IIBR is a unit that works to counter biological threats against Israel and has been taking the lead in order to develop a treatment and vaccine for the coronavirus, including plasma collection that includes the testing of blood from those who recovered from Covid-19.

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