Israel’s Biological Research Institute says its antibody first to be able to precisely target coronavirus

Israel’s shadowy Biological Research Institute says it is the first in the world to develop an antibody capable of attacking the coronavirus precisely, though it warns that it’s still months away from creating a treatment.

The breakthrough is unrelated to the development of a vaccine, but rather a move toward a drug treatment for those who have already contracted the disease.

It says the antibody that it isolated meets three important criteria for a potential treatment: it destroys the virus; it targets the coronavirus specifically, making it better suited than other, more general, antibodies; and it does not contain many additional proteins that can cause complications for patients.

The institute, which is run by the Defense Ministry, and works under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office, says it is working to file a patent for the as-yet un-named antibody in the coming days.

“This is an important milestone, but afterwards come complicated tests and a process of getting regulatory approval. Per an assessment by the institute’s scientists, this technological breakthrough is poised to shorten the process, which will go on for several months,” it says in a statement.

– Judah Ari Grosss