Neutralization Of SARS-CoV-2 Variants By A Human Polyclonal Antibody Therapeutic (COVID-HIG, NP-028) With High Neutralizing Titers To SARS-CoV-2

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants-of-Concern and Variants-of-Interest (VOC/VOI) with mutations in their Spike protein that increase transmissibility and/or reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapeutics. The emergence of these variants represents a significant health risk and highlights the need for additional COVID-19 therapeutics that maintain the ability to neutralize current, as well as future variants.

COVID-HIG (NP-028) is a polyclonal Anti-SARS-CoV-2 human Immunoglobulin purified from source human plasma screened for high antibody titers to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. COVID-HIG was previously evaluated in INSIGHT 013 clinical trial [ <ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="clintrialgov" xlink:href="NCT04546581">NCT04546581</ext-link> ] which was an international, multi-center, adaptive, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a single dose infusion (up to 400 mL) of Anti-Coronavirus Hyperimmune Intravenous Immunoglobulin (hIVIG) for the treatment of adult recently hospitalized COVID-19 patients (N=593). COVID-HIG is currently being evaluated for clinical efficacy in a Phase 3 placebo-controlled study INSIGHT 012 ( <ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="clintrialgov" xlink:href="NCT04910269">NCT04910269</ext-link> ) to compare the safety and efficacy of a single infusion of anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin (hIVIG) versus placebo among adults with recently diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection who do not require hospitalization.

In the present study, in-vitro pseudovirus and live virus neutralization assays were used to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variant spike mutations on neutralizing potency of COVID-HIG. These assays are valuable tools for monitoring the potential impact of variant mutations on efficacy of antibody therapeutics as well as vaccines/natural immunity.

To date, COVID-HIG (NP-028) has been shown to retain neutralizing potency against 20 full spike protein sequence SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus variants including all currently classified VOC/VOI (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta/Delta+, Eta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu as of Sept 2021) as well as 4 live virus variants (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Iota).