Sanford first in the nation to dose patient with SAB’s COVID treatment

Sept. 2, 2020

A first-of-its-kind approach to targeting COVID-19 has happened between two Sioux Falls-based organizations.

Sanford Health became the first to treat patients with COVID-19 using the therapeutic developed by Sioux Falls-based SAB Biotherapeutics.

If proven effective, the unique human polyclonal antibody treatment candidate would be used to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 at an early stage of the disease. The trial will enroll a total of 21 adult patients across several clinical sites. Sanford Health is the first site in the country to open the study to patients.

“Today’s milestone underscores our relentless commitment to advancing the science of medicine to ensure our patients benefit from new discoveries as quickly as possible,” David Pearce, president of innovation and research at Sanford Health, said in a statement. “Working with SAB Biotherapeutics on this clinical trial gives us an opportunity to deliver on our promise to patients.”

SAB’s novel platform, which leverages genetically engineered cattle to produce fully human antibodies, enables scalable and reliable production of specifically targeted, high-potency neutralizing antibody products, the company has said.

This approach has expedited the rapid development of this novel immunotherapy for COVID-19, deploying the same natural immune response to fight the disease as recovered patients but with a much higher concentration of antibodies.

“SAB is pleased to advance SAB-185, one of the leading novel therapeutics for COVID-19, into human trials and leverage the rapid-response capabilities of our first-of-its-kind technology during this pandemic, when it’s needed most,” said Eddie Sullivan, founder, president and CEO of SAB Biotherapeutics.

SAB has announced three awards valued at $72 million since March for development of its COVID-19 therapeutic candidate and for scaling its rapid-response capacity and capabilities for current and future product development from discovery through licensing.

In May, SAB announced its COVID-19 treatment being developed has shown it produces highly potent neutralizing antibodies to the virus SARS-CoV-2 in the lab that are four times higher than the most potent human convalescent plasma serum sample evaluated.

SAB Biotherapeutics: Therapeutic neutralized COVID-19

 

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Sanford first in the nation to dose patient with SAB’s COVID treatment

A first-of-its-kind approach to targeting COVID-19 has happened between two Sioux Falls-based organizations.

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