ARGENTINA (CBS) — Clinical trials to treat COVID-19 using hyperimmune serum developed with antibodies from horses have started in Argentina, authorities from the laboratory involved said on Wednesday.
The serum, produced by biotechnology company Inmunova, is obtained by injecting a SARS-CoV-2 protein, which causes the animal to generate a large amount of neutralizing antibodies. Plasma is then extracted from the horse, purified, and processed.
After positive results in laboratory tests, the clinical trial to study the effectiveness of the serum will be carried out on 242 people diagnosed with the disease in moderate to severe conditions, the laboratory said. The first results are expected between October and November.
Argentina has registered close to 175,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with around 3,200 fatalities.
