Singapore will begin human clinical trials to evaluate TY027, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that specifically targets SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19 next week.

Illustrative image (Source: The Strait Times)

The trials of TY027, developed by Singapore-based biotechnology company Tychan, will be conducted on 23 healthy individuals for a potential treatment for Covid-19. It aims to slow the progression of the disease and accelerate recovery, as well as for its potential to provide temporary protection against infection with SARS-CoV-2.

The first phase of the trials will be carried out by the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit for about six weeks to determine the safety and effectiveness of TY027.

If this phase is successful, Tychan will seek approval for the antibody to be administered to a larger population of volunteer patients in subsequent trials.

Professor Ooi Eng Eong of Duke-NUS Medical School, who is one of the founders of Tychan, said that TY027 could be used not only to treat Covid-19 patients but also to prevent infections.

"If the drug is indeed safe enough, we could, for instance, give (it) to healthcare workers who are treating Covid-19 patients so they don't get the infections themselves.

"And, as well as other scenarios like, for instance, if one travels to places with a lot of Covid-19 cases, this could be used to prevent infections when they are away from Singapore," he said.

Monoclonal antibodies are immune system proteins that are created in the laboratory, and can be specially designed and engineered to target SARS-CoV-2.

Source: VNA