Scientists create antibody that could potentially fight all COVID variants

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#USA, September 8, 2022 – US scientists have developed an antibody that is broadly neutralizing and has successfully fought off all known COVID variants.

The antibody, called SP1-77, was created using mice by researchers at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, who said in lab tests, it neutralized ‘all currently known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including all Omicron variants.’

The swiftly developing nature of the COVID-19 virus means that as new variants emerged, previous antibody treatments became less effective.  In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on the emergency use authorization for the initial COVID-19 boosters last week.  Because of new variants, the shots which were saving lives only months ago are now deemed obsolete.

This only serves to emphasize the importance of a potential all-around vaccine that could fight off future variants as well, which is what the Boston Children’s Hospital is billing its discovery as.

The antibody is moving into human clinical trial stages soon, and Senior Investigator Dr. Frederick Alt says, “If the antibody proves to be as effective in patients as it has been in pre-clinical evaluation, it might provide a new therapeutic and contribute to new vaccine strategies.”

Several new bivalent boosters are available that protect against Omicron and the original COVID variant, but this could potentially mean only one vaccine to stop COVID, a balm for many people worldwide who are exhausted by the idea of constant boosters for different versions of COVID-19.