Mabpharm ^Company

Mabpharm is working on the development of a treatment together with Sorrento Therapeutic; ACE-MABTM bi-specific fusion protein designed to bind to the spike protein of coronaviruses — including SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV — which is expected to block SARS-CoV-2 from binding and infecting respiratory epithelial cells or ACE2-expressing cells to interrupt the viral life cycle. Sorrento said March 24 it will partner with Mabpharm to develop STI-4920, through a collaboration whose value was not disclosed. ACE-MABs have two functional arms: A fully human antibody that targets the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 with high affinity, and a truncated ACE2 protein that binds to a different epitope of the spike protein. The fusion protein could also block the receptor binding domain with CD147 to mitigate lung inflammation and cytokine storm, according to Sorrento.