Vir Biotechnology Inc. has announced the publication of research findings from the company’s efforts to develop therapeutics for COVID-19 in the May 18, 2020 issue of the journal Nature. 
The paper, entitled “Cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV2 by a human monoclonal antibody” (Pinto, et al., Nature), details the identification and characterization of S309, an antibody isolated from a patient who recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which has been shown to prevent SARS-CoV-2 live virus infection of cells. 
Vir says the company is advancing two clinical development candidates based on the S309 antibody as potential therapeutics for COVID-19, VIR-7831 and VIR-7832, in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc.
“Remarkably, we believe S309 likely covers the entire family of related coronaviruses, which suggests that, even as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, it may be quite challenging for it to become resistant to the neutralizing activity of S309,” said Herbert “Skip” Virgin, Chief Scientific Officer, Vir. 
“In addition, S309 exhibits potent effector function in vitro, potentially allowing the antibody to engage and recruit the rest of the immune system to kill off already infected cells. We have seen in animal models of other respiratory infections, such as influenza, that effector function significantly enhances the activity of antibodies that are already potently neutralizing.”
“Potency, coupled with a high barrier to resistance, are hallmarks of a superior antiviral,” said Phillip S. Pang, Chief Medical Officer, Vir. “We have seen this with mAb114, a single, potent monoclonal antibody that has been shown in a Phase 2/3 trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo to markedly reduce mortality from Ebola.”
mAb114 is a monoclonal antibody that was isolated by Vir scientists in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government agencies using the same approach used to discover and develop S309. mAb114 is being developed by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP and the NIH.
The paper can be accessed on the Nature website. 

The paper, entitled “Cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV2 by a human monoclonal antibody” (Pinto, et al., Nature), details the identification and characterization of the antibody S309