A Human Antibody Nasal Spray Under Development Might Have Prevented White House Infections, Scientists At Diomics And Active Motif Say

Antibody Barrier in the Nasal Cavity Could Hold A Key to Curtailing Virus Spread

 

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Diomics Corp. will be seeking an accelerated regulatory pathway for a version of the company's previously announced prophylactic monoclonal antibody nasal spray, Dioguard™, which they believe holds promise both to protect against coronavirus infection and to prevent asymptomatic carriers from unknowingly spreading the infection to others.

The "warp speed" version of Dioguard, which is in early stages of development , is designed to deliver a dual-antibody cocktail intended to trap, bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus particles directly in the nasal cavity, where more than 80% of COVID-19 infections start. Administration of recombinant IgG antibodies to attack the virus right where it first enters the body may be a powerful defense against infection, and also has the potential to significantly reduce shedding of inhaled virus particles by people who may have the virus but not show any symptoms, which could help protect people near them, according to Diomics' Chief Science Officer, Eric J. Mathur.

The two specific antibodies in Dioguard were isolated in March 2020 by another San Diego-based company, Active Motif Inc., from more than a thousand antibodies found in the blood of 11 patients who recovered from the virus. Research demonstrating the potent neutralizing ability of the Active Motif antibodies has appeared in three peer-reviewed journals.

The results of a recently completed, BARDA-funded SARS-CoV-2 in vitro virus neutralization test assay demonstrated the ability of Diomics' IgG antibodies to neutralize the virus and prevent it from replicating with no observed toxic side effects.

A preventative nasal spray for SARS-CoV-2 like the one Diomics is developing could possibly have protected members of the White House staff and might have significantly reduced the risk of infection to media and others who were in contact with them at events around the country, the scientists at Diomics and Active Motif say.

"We believe that intranasal delivery of our human-derived antibodies with high SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing efficiencies can be a novel alternative for preventing people from contracting COVID-19 and unknowingly passing it to others, including those who for various reasons choose not to wear masks," said Joseph Fernández, Active Motif's founder and chairman.

"Creating an antibody shield that traps and disables the virus before it can reach and enter the cells that cause infection—a molecular-level mask, if you will—we believe could hold the key to allowing many aspects of life to resume until a safe, effective vaccine is available and widely accepted," said Diomics CEO, Anthony Zolezzi.

"At this critical moment, providing the highest possible level of protection for our country's leaders and others on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 is the most important contribution we can make to our nation's security and long-term prosperity, and we think Dioguard has the potential to do that."

NOTE TO EDITORS: Additional scientific background, peer-reviewed research and explanatory video are available at www.dioguard.com/science.

About Diomics
Diomics Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on science-based innovation and the development of life-improving products. Our proprietary Diomat™ technology platform is optimized for the collection and delivery of compounds and proteins and can also be used for drug delivery, long-term monitoring, diagnostics and production of life-saving hormones and other bio-compounds. Based in San Diego, Calif., Diomics has developed numerous products, tools and services for the molecular, diagnostic and forensic industries. For more information visit diomics.com.

About Active Motif
Active Motif, Inc. is dedicated to developing, manufacturing and delivering epigenetics-based research tools to analyze nuclear function. Its customers include life scientists from academic and government institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and reference laboratories. Active Motif operates globally through its corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. and offices in Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan. Active Motif applies a multi-disciplinary approach to create new and modify existing technologies to meet the current and future needs of life science researchers.

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SOURCE Diomics Corp.