TECH

Israel announces discovery of antibody to coronavirus

The Ministry of Defense's Israel Institute for Biotechnological Research has announced that it has developed an antibody to the coronavirus and that it is preparing the patent to then contact pharmaceutical companies, with the aim of producing on a commercial scale.
In a statement, the institute ensures that the developed antibody attacks and neutralizes the virus in sick people.
"According to the researchers, led by Professor Shmuel Shapiro, the development phase of the antibody has been completed," adds the note.
Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Benet visited the institute's laboratory in Nezz Ziona, south of Tel Aviv, where he learned of the research. He affirmed that the "antibody attacks the virus in a monoclonal way" describing the work developed as "a great achievement".
"I am proud of the staff of the Biotechnology Institute for this progress. Jewish creativity and thinking have achieved great results," said the minister in the note. The text does not specify whether tests have been performed on humans.
Senior Israeli defense and security officials said the discovery was the "first of its kind worldwide."
According to the digital publication Times of Israel, there are about a hundred research teams in the world looking for a vaccine for the new coronavirus, which caused the pandemic, and about a dozen are currently in the process of testing on humans.
Experts warned in March that the process after developing a vaccine in the laboratory can take at least 18 months.
The Israel Institute for Research and Biotechnology is dedicated, among other activities, to investigating chemical weapons, looking for antidotes against new substances.
In March, the Haaretz newspaper reported that the center had made progress in investigating the vaccine, with the Ministry of Defense denying the information.
On a global level, according to a report by the AFP news agency, the covid-19 pandemic has already caused more than 250,000 deaths and infected more than 3.5 million people in 195 countries and territories.

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