Abnova’s Cell-Surface Vimentin (CSV) Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Wuhan 2019-nCoV Coronavirus

Neihu, Taiwan (February 13, 2020)

Abnova announced today a significant progress in the development of cell-surface vimentin therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting the Wuhan 2019-nCoV coronavirus. An effective way to ward off the invading virus is to block the entry of the virus into normal cells. It has been know that SARS coronavirus spike (S) protein gains entry into the human lung cells by attaching to the ACE2 protein. However, the ACE2 protein itself is not sufficient to allow the host cells to become susceptible to the SARS infection. More importantly, cell-surface vimentin (CSV) protein plays a critical and facilitative role for the cell entry of SARS virus. Leveraging the sequence homology between SARS and 2019-nCoV viruses, and the functional similarity between the their S proteins and human ACE2, Abnova has successfully generated a large collection of CSV monoclonal antibodies targeting vimentin protein epitopes to prevent viral entry and reduce 2019-nCoV infection.

Researchers at National Taiwan University in Taiwan were the first to demonstrate the interaction between CSV protein and the SARS S protein during viral cell entry in 2016. Several other viruses also showed the dependence of CSV and viral entry including Cowpea Mosaic virus (CPMV) and Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV). All these support the crucial role of CSV in viral pathogenesis. CSV monoclonal antibody is a basic building block of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody against 2019-nCoV virus. Using conventional protein engineering, CSV monoclonal can be humanized for therapeutic application such as passive immunotherapy against viral infection. Moreover, the antibody can be aerosolized for direct lung delivery without intravenous administration.

Abnova is now actively reaching out to university research centers and companies to further advance its CSV monoclonal antibody. In vivo animal efficacy and safety studies can be done rapidly within a couple of months. Antibody engineering can be efficiently outsourced and completed within a 6 month to initiate human testing. Therapeutic monoclonal antibody is a proven, FDA approved treatments for several viral and bacterial diseases. The spread of 2019-nCoV coronavirus can be thwarted by hygienic and quarantine measures. On the other hand, for the patients with severe and deteriorating infection, therapeutic monoclonal antibody is a effcient and effective weapon against a new virus with still many unknown attributes.