By Charlotte Webster-
An antibody capable of forming an emergency protection for those who have been exposed to coronavirus has been given to two people in the first trial of its kind in the Uk.
The experimental jab is being offered to people who have been in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case within the past eight days.
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If it proves effective, it could protect vulnerable people who haven’t yet been, or can’t be, vaccinated.
The trial, run at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust, is assessing whether an injection of two different antibodies could prevent someone who has exposed to Covid-19 from developing the disease – or at least from becoming very ill.
The monoclonal antibody treatment, developed by the drugs company AstraZeneca has the high capability of working to neutralise the virus immediately, with ongoing protection for up to a year.
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Previous studies have shown that in order to develop any vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, two key elements of the immune system need to be activated.
These are neutralising antibodies against the coronavirus spike protein which is likely to be critically important in protecting against the disease, as well as robust T cell responses.
Booster doses of the vaccine induced stronger antibody responses than a single dose, with the standard dose/standard dose inducing the best response – supporting the decision to move to a two-dose vaccine regimen in phase three trials.
The paper also shows that many different antibody functions are triggered by the vaccine that may be important in protection from the disease.
However, even if the antibodies cannot not stop a virus from entering the body, T cells can kill infected cells.
Healthcare workers, hospital patients and care home residents could be given the treatment if they have been exposed to a known Covid- 19 case.
Exposed
The team, lead by UCLH virologist Dr Catherine Houlihan, wants to recruit 1,000 volunteers are targeting recruitment at areas where people are likely to have been exposed, including hospitals and student accommodation.
Participants will have to show their close contact has tested positive.
The jab works by “donating” antibodies, Dr Houlihan said – “it skips out that stage of your body doing the work” to make them.
“We know that this antibody combination can neutralise the virus, so we hope to find that giving this treatment via injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in people who have been exposed – when it would be too late to offer a vaccine.”
She explained this technique was already used post-exposure for other viruses like rabies, and chickenpox in pregnant people.
Separate Trial
A separate trial at UCLH is examining the possibility that the same antibody treatment could be used before someone is exposed coronavirus, to prevent them ever catching it.
This could be particularly useful for people who have immune deficiencies or are going through immune-suppressing treatment like chemotherapy.
Infectious diseases consultant Dr Nicky Longley, who is running the pre-exposure trial, said it was being trialled on people with conditions like cancer and HIV which “may affect the ability of their immune system to respond to a vaccine.
“We want to reassure anyone for whom a vaccine may not work that we can offer an alternative which is just as protective.”
It might also be useful to protect vulnerable people as a stopgap before they can be given a vaccine, Dr Houlihan confirmed.
But she said it was not being suggested as an alternative to the vaccine. And it’s also likely to cost considerably more, at hundreds of pounds a dose.
Along with UCLH, the antibody treatment will be trialled at multiple sites in the US as well as in Wakefield, Manchester, Southampton and Hull.
But only the London site has begun recruiting and jabbing people.
The first results for both arms of the trial – using antibodies before and after exposure to Covid – are expected in the spring.
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