LLY - Sorrento Therapeutics Cleared to Start Trial for Its Next-Generation Coronavirus Antibody Treatment
Sorrento Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRNE) hasn't released data from a phase 1 clinical trial testing STI-1499, which also goes by COVI-GUARD, its first-generation antibody treatment targeting the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
But the biotech is already moving on to its next-generation version of the drug. Today, the company announced that the Food and Drug Administration cleared it to run a phase 1 clinical trial for STI-2020, which also goes by COVI-AMG.
Pre-clinical testing of the antibodies in laboratory studies showed STI-2020 was 50-fold more potent than STI-1499. The higher potency means that STI-2020 can be given in a small volume via an intravenous push with a syringe. Regeneron 's (NASDAQ: REGN) coronavirus antibody treatments casirivimab and imdevimab and Eli Lilly 's (NYSE: LLY) bamlanivimab have to be given via intravenous infusion, which requires a patient to be hooked up to a machine and takes longer to administer.
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Sorrento Therapeutics Cleared to Start Trial for Its Next-Generation Coronavirus Antibody Treatment