New COVID-19 antibody treatment reportedly effective but will not replace vaccine

After what seems like a drawn-out war against SARS-CoV-2, the medical community might be closer to breakthrough earlier than anticipated. With multiple ongoing clinical trials for treatments and vaccines, there is a consistent influx of promising developments. The latest one to come from experts talks about a possible cure via an antibody therapy that claims to inhibit the virus completely. Nevertheless, experts claim it is not as effective as a vaccine, which is projected to take longer.

The news reportedly comes from Sorrento Therapeutics CEO Dr. Henry Ji in an exclusive interview with Fox News. "We want to emphasise there is a cure. There is a solution that works 100 percent," he pointed out. "If we have the neutralising antibody in your body, you don't need the social distancing. You can open up a society without fear."

Public health officials already forecast more COVID-19 deaths in the months to come as governments attempt to stimulate the economy by lifting restrictions. In fact, it is estimated to reach or exceed 100,000 by June 1. As already noted by researchers, treatments will have a significant impact on those who are already infected and suffering from symptoms. However, it could not prevent the transmission of coronavirus.

Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security senior scholar Dr. Amesh Adalja stated: "So, obviously vaccines are going to be much more valuable than any kind of treatment. You don't need treatment because you don't get infected." Meanwhile, it is also possible that the aforementioned antibody identified as STI-1499 could eventually lead to the discovery of a preventive form of treatment.

The biotech company based in California confirms that its research will be made public soon. The team purportedly worked with billions of antibodies to select which can potentially block the coronavirus' spike proteins. Those that were identified were shown to be effective in preventing the virus from entering human cells.

After narrowing down the list of candidates, one, in particular, was supposedly 100 percent effective against SARS-CoV-2. According to Ji, the antibody treatment would still need approval from the Food and Drug Administration before it can be mass-produced for distribution to healthcare systems across the globe.