CSL joins COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine bid

Specialty biotechnology company CSL has weighed into the global race to find a coronavirus vaccine.

CSL is joining with a Japanese company to look at developing a plasma-derived therapy to combat COVID-19

Specialty biotechnology company CSL has weighed into the global race to find a coronavirus vaccine by partnering with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to develop an old-fashioned but potentially effective treatment.

CSL, which is now the biggest company on the ASX after surpassing Commonwealth Bank with a market capitalisation of $138bn last month, joined forces with Takeda to accelerate the ­development of plasma-derived therapy to treat COVID-19.

The treatment, which will need regulatory approval, involves extracting antibodies from the plasma of people who have recovered from COVID-19 and developing that into a hyperimmune immunoglobulin medicine to help coronavirus-infected patients with serious complications fight the virus.

CSL and Takeda will leverage their leading-edge expertise and work that is already under way to combat the virus. The pair have also invited other companies and institutions to join their alliance to fast-track the therapy’s development.

“Leaders lead during uncertainty,” said Bill Mezzanotte, CSL Behring’s executive vice-president and head of R&D.

“There is no question that we are all experiencing the impact of COVID-19. This effort aims to accelerate a reliable, scalable and sustainable option for caregivers to treat patients suffering from COVID-19.

“In addition to pooling industry resources, we will also collaborate with government and academic efforts as a single alliance whenever we can, including important activities like clinical trials. This will make it more efficient in these hectic times for these stakeholders as well.”

Developing a hyperimmune treatment will require plasma ­donation from many individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, and whose blood contains antibodies that can fight the virus.

Mr Mezzanotte said once collected, the “convalescent” plasma would be transported to manufacturing facilities where it would undergo processing, including ­effective virus inactivation and removal processes, and then purified into the product.

He said experts from the alliance would begin collaborating across key aspects, such as plasma collections, clinical trial development and manufacturing.

Takeda president of plasma-derived therapies Julie Kim said these “unprecedented times call for bold moves”.

“We collectively agree that by collaborating and bringing industry resources together, we could accelerate bringing a potential therapy to market as well as increase the potential supply,” she said. “We invite companies and institutions focusing on plasma to support or join our alliance.”

Governments and companies around the globe are working to accelerate the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, which has killed more than 62,700 people and infected more than 1.1 million others worldwide and shut down many economies.

China’s National Health Commission claims to be working with eight research institutes to develop vaccines, which the centre’s director says will enter clinical trials next month.

Meanwhile, fast-tracked trials are under way at the CSIRO’s hi-tech Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, which this week was rebadged the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to reflect its crucial role in combating the disease.

CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said AAHL was created to protect Australia from animal diseases such as foot and mouth, swine fever and invasive species. “But the emergence of the hendra virus in Australia [in 1994] demonstrated that diseases do not differentiate between animals and humans, so neither will we, as we step up our preparedness and response to both in a more holistic way,” he said.

Coupled with research at the University of Queensland to create­ a vaccine using molecular clamp technology, the CSIRO’s preclinical trials put ­Australia at the forefront of the international response to fight COVID-19.