A therapeutic to treat novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is moving forward in development through a partnership between BARDA, the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO – CBRND), and SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc. (SAb), of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Using an interagency agreement with JPEO’s Medical CBRN Defense Consortium, BARDA transferred approximately $7.2 million in funding to (JPEO – CBRND) to support SAb to complete manufacturing and preclinical studies, with an option to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial.

The therapeutic, called SAB-185, is part of a new class of immunotherapies that relies on SAb’s platform technology to produce fully human polyclonal antibodies as the basis for the drug. This technology produces the antibodies without the need for blood donations from people who have recovered from the virus; this approach produces greater quantities of the drug than the traditional human antibody donor methods.

Currently, there are no FDA-approved vaccines or therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19.  Therapeutics are urgently needed to treat the symptoms of COVID-19, especially in the absence of vaccines to help control the spread of the disease. BARDA is working with its partners across industry and government to build a portfolio of medical countermeasures, including drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests, for this COVID-19 pandemic and future coronavirus outbreaks.

BARDA supports the development of innovative products and approaches, like the SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc. technology, that aim to solve major health security challenges through innovative approaches and products.  

About SAb Biotherapeutics

The following information is provided by the company and does not indicate endorsement by the federal government of the company or its products. 

SAb Biotherapeutics, Inc. (SAb) is a clinical stage, biopharmaceutical development company leading the science and manufacturing of antibody therapeutics. SAb is delivering the world’s first large-scale platform to create immunoglobulins. This natural production platform holds the potential for treatment of public health problems, rare conditions, long-term diseases and global pandemic threats.

https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/newsroom/2020/sab-185/