Kedrion Biopharma forms research partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center to support development of new IgG therapy for COVID-19
NEW YORK, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kedrion Biopharma, an Italian biopharmaceutical company and world player in the field of plasma-derived therapies, has formed a research partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center to develop and test a new IgG therapy for COVID-19 which is being developed by Kedrion and Kamada Ltd, a leading Israeli bio-pharmaceutical company that specializes in plasma derived products.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kedrion will supply Columbia with convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to be used for the manufacturing of IgG therapy. Columbia University will test the convalescent plasma against viral proteins to check the neutralizing power of the hyperimmune Immunoglobins.
Dr. Steven Spitalnik, Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratories at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, explained in an interview that the evaluation of the neutralizing assay of the hyperimmune Immunoglobins should be completed by early August, and human clinical trials may be initiated pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Spitalnik said, "The initial samples were sent to us last week. We hope to be able to evaluate the first assays in a week or two. Then during this third quarter we hope to evaluate the IgG therapy that could be used for clinical studies in patients and volunteers."
Dr. Spitalnik said he hopes that, if the therapy receives FDA approval, it can be administered to frontline medical workers at risk for COVID-19 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and elsewhere.
Paolo Marcucci, the CEO of Kedrion Biopharma, said he welcomed the partnership with Columbia University Irving Medical Center to accelerate the development of an anti-COVID IgG therapy "We are proud to work with Columbia on a project that could ultimately help patients in need and perhaps even help frontline medical workers at Columbia itself. That would be wonderful," said Marcucci.
About Kedrion Biopharma
Kedrion Biopharma is a leading international biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the development, production and distribution of plasma-derived therapeutic products for use in treating serious diseases, disorders and conditions such as immune system deficiencies and coagulation disorders. Kedrion has special expertise in the treatment of rare diseases and in the manufacture of hyper-immune products such as antibodies for HBV, Tetanus and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. The company operates through a fully integrated business model from the collection of plasma in its own centers in the United States and Hungary to fractionation and production in its manufacturing facilities located in Italy, Hungary and the United States. Headquartered in Castelvecchio Pascoli (Italy), Kedrion has over 2,700 employees and a commercial presence in approximately 100 countries worldwide. Kedrion places a high value on the welfare of those who benefit from its products, as well as on the people and the communities it serves. Additional information about Kedrion Biopharma can be found at www.kedrion.com and www.kedrion.us.
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Kedrion Biopharma:
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SOURCE Kedrion Biopharma
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