Plant-produced monoclonal IgAs for mucosal prophylaxis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2

We aim to generate a panel of recombinant neutralising IgA monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by transient expression in plants, a manufacturing platform that would facilitates rapid production and scale-up to levels sufficient to treat up several million people in a very short time-scale. We will evaluate the stability of our antibody candidates in aerosol formulation for simplified topical delivery to the lungs and determine their efficacy in cell-based neutralisation assays and animal models. This passive immunotherapy approach using a plant-based production systems could provide a massively scalable, affordable solution on a global scale, something that is hardly achievable would be impossible using traditional antibody manufacturing platforms.