(Reuters) -The National Institutes of Health has initiated a late-stage study to test plasma-derived COVID-19 therapies including Emergent BioSolutions Inc’s candidate for those at high risk of disease progression, the drug developer said.
Emergent said on Wednesday the study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of polyclonal antibodies derived from plasma of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.
The trial will include immunocompromised adults and those above 55 years.
Emergent is one of the two companies providing plasma-derived products for the trial, which will enroll approximately 800 patients across the United States and international clinical trial sites.
Emergent’s candidate, COVID-HIG, is in development through funding from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
