MIMS Research Foundation, a research arm of Aster DM Healthcare is developing a polyclonal antibody to stop cytokine storm in coronavirus. The researchers aim to prevent coronavirus related deaths with the novel drug.

Reportedly, there are no approved products available across the globe that are affordable and effective for wide clinical use against viral-induced sepsis. The severity of coronavirus is directly proportional to the concentration of cytokines released in response to the infection. Controlling cytokine storm is essential to prevent coronavirus-related deaths. So, MIMS Research Foundation is proposing to develop an antibody therapy to save millions of cases across the globe.

Dr Satish Prasad Rath, Group Chief of Innovation and Research- Aster DM Healthcare said, “We have repurposed our sepsis research for COVID management. The antibody is developed to treat bacterial sepsis by blocking the Cytokine storm. The immune response during COVID 19 infection also leads to organ dysfunction as bacterial sepsis do. Additionally, the severity of COVID is directly proportional to the concentration of cytokines released in response to the infection. Controlling cytokine storm is essential to prevent the coronavirus related deaths, hence we are proposing to use this antibody to treat COVID induced organ damage and septic shock.”

He added, “Respiratory infections are frequently associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Our current approach of using recombinant antibody fragments will try to bring forth a potential therapy against all SIRS causing respiratory viral infections. Our research team has succeeded in developing polyclonal antibodies, which showed high specificity towards cytokines in sepsis patients. Currently, we are developing recombinant antibody fragments of these polyclonal antibodies to stop the cytokine storm in coronavirus infection. This will be an adjunctive therapy for viral-induced sepsis to prevent the deterioration of patients by effective suppression of the cytokine storm and save the patients’ lives. Based on the current findings of our team, antibodies with anti-cytokine properties will act as an effective drug for the treatment of the cytokine storm in coronavirus. The successful completion of the project is expected to provide an antibody-based therapy for cytokine storm in viral-induced sepsis. The success of this research will give us new hope of treating sepsis in coronavirus patients in a more specific and efficient way. We are expecting to carry on this work to a clinical trial level soon.”

Rath informed, “We have submitted our findings to the relevant authority and awaiting final approval for human trials. We are now at the in-vitro lab experiment stage. It takes at least six months for antibody fragment production and three months for animal experiments. After this stage, we will go for the human trial. The details of the trial will be discussed and finalised later.”