Immunologists have evaluated the effectiveness of the world's first immunoglobulin against COVID-19
“Covid-globulin”, developed by the company “Natsimbio” owned by the state corporation “Rostec”, was created on the basis of the blood plasma of patients who have undergone coronavirus infection. This is a solution intended for intravenous administration: manufacturers plan that it will be prescribed to patients aged 18 to 60 years with a severe or moderate course of the disease.
It is assumed that the drug will develop passive immunity in patients, which will help stop the spread of the virus in the body.
“Passive immunity arises due to the introduction into the body of foreign antibodies against the virus (antiglobulins). Moderate to severe COVID-19 develops if the body does not resist infection. But if ready-made antibodies are injected into a sick person, they defeat the virus, neutralize the disease. Or, at least, they minimize the multiplication of the virus, which prevents the development of a moderate / severe form of the disease, ”Nadezhda Furanina, an allergist-immunologist at the CM-Clinic, explained to Gazeta.Ru.
Moreover, the drug will be effective only during the prevention of COVID-19 or in the early stages of the disease.
“Immunoglobulin, like plasma, must be administered at the earliest stage of the disease. It is in this case that immunity against coronavirus is instantly created and at the very beginning of the disease, the immune system receives a clear indication of which virus and how to fight. And when it came to hospitalization and mechanical ventilation, the drug will no longer work, ”said allergist-immunologist Vladimir Bolibok.
Allergist-immunologist Andrei Prodeus agrees with him: in his opinion, if the body's cells have already received a large dose of coronavirus, artificially injected antibodies will not be able to help fight the infection.
In addition, the drug cannot be created in large quantities due to the complex production technology and the shortage of donors who have recovered.
“The drug will need to be produced in large quantities, which is practically impossible, since it will need to be produced from the serum of the blood plasma of those people who have an increased titer of antibodies. In addition, certain technologies must be followed. And this is all against the background of the fact that in Russia there is already a deficiency of immunoglobulin for patients with simply impaired immunity, ”the specialist noted.
Despite this, “Covid-globulin” can be effective in combating new mutations of the infection, since the blood plasma of patients who have been ill with “fresh” strains will be used as a basis, Bolibok said.
“In theory, situations may arise when vaccines need to be revised due to virus mutations – there are already such precedents. Therefore, “Covid-globulin” from the blood plasma of those donors who have been ill will lead to the creation of a quick tool for combating mutations. This is a strong breakthrough in the creation of drugs against coronavirus, ”the expert noted.
The world already has experience in treating coronavirus with antibodies from those who have recovered. Due to the increase in the incidence of coronavirus, the Moscow authorities have been calling for those patients who have undergone the disease to become a blood plasma donor since the spring of 2020. In addition, this practice exists in the United States and other countries.
Despite the fact that this therapy has gained popularity, scientists from the US National Institutes of Health have proven its ineffectiveness. The results of the study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine in August this year.
The study involved 511 patients with coronavirus infection: 257 received blood plasma from those who had had covid, and 254 were in the placebo group, they were injected with saline instead of plasma with antibodies.
“We hoped that using plasma from COVID-19 patients would reduce disease progression in this group by at least 10 percent, but the decline we observed was less than 2 percent. This was a surprise to us. As doctors, we wanted to reduce the severity of the disease, but we failed, ”said Clifton Callaway, emergency care specialist at the University of Pittsburgh.
However, “Covid-globulin” will differ from ordinary blood plasma in a purer composition. “The drug is cleared of all antibodies that are not needed by the body, besides, it will have a high concentration of immunoglobulins G, which protect against the virus,” said Nadezhda Furanina.
In addition, the drug has simplified storage conditions – which will affect logistics, since it does not require freezing.
“First of all, it will be needed by those who are not vaccinated at all: for example, people with contraindications to the vaccine need to somehow be protected from the virus. After all, there are no specific drugs for the coronavirus yet,” Bolibok concluded.
