Imanis Life Sciences Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication of Data on Quantitative Virus Neutralization Assay IMMUNO-COV™

Publication validates the IMMUNO-COV assay to accurately measure the level of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated individuals and those recovering from natural infections

ROCHESTER, Minn., June 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imanis Life Sciences (“Imanis” or “The Company”) today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific paper detailing its latest improved IMMUNO-COV^TM neutralization assay in mSphere®, an open access journal published by the American Society for Microbiology. The paper, entitled “IMMUNO-COV v2.0: Development and Validation of a High-Throughput Clinical Assay for Measuring SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Titers,” can be downloaded here.

The publication details the validation of IMMUNO-COV for accurately and reliably measuring the blood levels (titers) of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated individuals and those recovering from natural infections. IMMUNO-COV differs from other clinical antibody assays because (i) it detects only protective antibodies, i.e. those that can destroy the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and (ii) it is fully quantitative, giving an antibody “titer” rather than a yes/no readout, and can therefore be used to estimate a person’s level of protection against COVID19.

Repeat IMMUNO-COV testing was used in the paper to show that there is a two to fivefold drop in neutralizing antibody titers within the first 6 months after recovery from COVID-19, suggesting that the assay will be useful to better understand the rate at which protection declines over time in vaccinated individuals. In validation studies, besides its ability to give an accurately quantitative readout, the test had 100% specificity and 98.3% sensitivity for detection of positive and negative samples in a reference antibody panel. Neutralizing antibody titers determined using the IMMUNO-COV assay were also shown to correlate closely with “gold standard” plaque reduction neutralization titers (PRNT) which can only be determined using a wild type SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in a high containment facility.

IMMUNO-COV is available nationally, orderable by a physician. Individuals, particularly those with underlying conditions who suspect that their COVID-19 immunity might be suboptimal after vaccination, can request this test from their physicians. For information on ordering the test visit www.imanis-immunocov.com.

"The publication of data on IMMUNO-COV in a journal as highly respected as mSphere is another important step forward in bringing this breakthrough neutralization assay to the market,” said Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Imanis. “The article provides evidence and validation of how IMMUNO-COV can help us better understand what levels of antibodies are required for protection from COVID-19. We are hopeful that this will lead to much needed specific recommendations for vulnerable individuals with low neutralizing antibody titers regarding the need for continued social distancing, the advisability of travel associated with risk of exposure to variant strains, the need for urgent diagnostic testing and monoclonal antibody therapy if symptoms develop, and the appropriate timing of booster vaccine shots."

Since preparation of this publication, Imanis has worked with Frederick National Laboratories to standardize IMMUNO-COV titers to the World Health Organization (WHO) international reference standard (NIBSC code: 20/136). As a result, IMMUNO-COV titers can now be easily compared to titers obtained using other standardized neutralization assays in international units per milliliter (IU/mL). “Imanis is committed to supporting global efforts to standardize SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization tests,” said Rianna Vandergaast, Ph.D., Principal Scientist at Imanis. “Being able to compare results from multiple tests provides a distinct advantage when interpreting test data. Not only for individuals who want to know what their result means, but also for researchers who are using data from many different tests to answer important questions about SARS-CoV-2 immunity.”

About Imanis Life Sciences
Imanis Life Sciences is a biotechnology company with an unwavering commitment to the advancement of science. For many companies, profitability rules decision making. But at Imanis, leading scientific breakthroughs is the primary focus. Imanis is about making a difference in the world by putting people in a better position than they were yesterday. The company strives to do this by being a leader in laboratory assays and research services to accelerate the development of a broad range of next-generation therapies. Imanis Life Sciences is located in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information, visit https://imanis-immunocov.com/.