Russian scientists have developed a technology to produce a crucial component in the fight against coronavirus.

GamCoviMab is a medicinal product designed for early etiological therapy of coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It was developed in the immunobiotechnology laboratory of the N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.

The formulation contains two humanized monoclonal antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domains (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Component I (GamP2C5) is derived from the modification of a neutralizing single-domain antibody from a camel, which includes the attachment of the human IgG1 Fc fragment. Component II (GamXRH19) was obtained by modifying a neutralizing antibody isolated from a hybridoma, involving the replacement of the constant region of mouse immunoglobulin with the constant region of human IgG1.

Researchers utilized Chinese hamster ovary cells for the synthesis of the required antibody and tested various media for cell growth to evaluate their effectiveness. Experiments were conducted in specialized containers and bioreactors of different volumes.

The scaling up of the drug's production took place at the "Medgamal" branch of the Gamaleya Center. In this process, technologist Dmitry Polyansky, a graduate student from the Department of Analytical Chemistry named after I.P. Alimarin at RTU MIREA, participated: "We managed to create a stable source of antibodies that will help combat various strains of the coronavirus. This technology offers hope for effective treatment and prevention of Covid-19."

The results of the project have been published in the journal Fine Chemical Technologies.