February 22, 2021 -- Biohaven Pharmaceutical's hyperimmune globulin mimic (HGM), developed on its proprietary multimodal antibody therapy enhancer (MATE) platform, has demonstrated functional binding and neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including emerging variants.
The preclinical experiments show that the candidate, BHV-1200, substantially reduced viral entry into cells. The candidate also showed broad and potent antiviral activity against the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, as well as those associated with reduced susceptibility to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and recent strains.
In vitro data indicated that BHV-1200 may activate important immune system components including antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).
The MATE conjugation technology uses a class of synthetic peptide binders to target the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. The binders are subsequently conjugated to commercially available intravenous immunoglobulin. The synthetic binders were designed to establish a wider area and number of contacts with the spike protein.
The development of the COVID-19 MATE program is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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