Immune Biosolutions - A step closer to the first inhaled antibody treatment for COVID-19

SHERBROOKE, QC, Aug. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Immune Biosolutions, a Canadian biotech company based in Sherbrooke, reached a new milestone in developing the first inhaled antibody-based treatment against COVID-19. The prestigious medical journal The Lancet Infectious Disease today published the conclusive results of phase I and II clinical trials of the inhalation treatment against SARS-CoV-2, named IBIO123, demonstrating its ability to significantly reduce respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 disease and its progression.

This world first treatment of COVID-19 is currently the only inhaled immunotherapy treatment developed for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Direct treatment to the lungs
Complementing vaccines, which prevent disease by promoting antibody production, this immunotherapy acts as a viral extinguisher, directly treating virus-affected lungs with nebulized antibodies. The distinct feature of immunotherapy treatments is that they are biological, generate fewer side-effects and directly attack the causes of disease.

Double-blind clinical trials were carried out on 162 non-hospitalized adult patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. The proportion of subjects with resolved respiratory symptoms of disease at day 8 was 41% for the IBIO123-treated group versus 17% for the placebo group in the overall population, and 35% versus 10% among high-risk participants. This clinical data was generated during the Omicron wave, and IBIO123 is effective against all known variants in laboratory assays.

“Another very significant milestone has been reached with the completion of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. This new inhalation directly targets the virus and could lead to a reduction in hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19,” said Dr. Bruno Maranda, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Immune Biosolutions.

A simple and safe treatment
The therapy is easy to administer. The patient simply inhales the drug for a few minutes using a nebulizer and mouthpiece. Eventually, this treatment (IBIO123) could be self-administered by the patient.

Because of its leading-edge expertise and financial support from the governments of Quebec ($4.5 million from the BioMed Propulsion program) and Canada ($13.44 million from the Strategic Innovation Fund), private investors (nearly $5 million), and a unique collaboration with the research centers of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal (CHUM) and CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Immune Biosolutions has succeeded in transforming an academic discovery into an innovative product that can make a real difference to people infected with the virus.

Next steps
Although the treatment promises to be particularly effective, Immune Biosolutions does not currently have the funding to produce the drug in sufficient quantities for Canada to be self-sufficient in the event of a new wave of COVID-19. In addition, the company will have to take the necessary steps to obtain approvals and notices of compliance from the various government health authorities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how important it is to have the capacity to develop and, above all, produce our very own treatments to serve the Canadian population. Our goal is to be able to offer this treatment quickly to all Canadians who need it,” says Luc Paquet, CEO of Immune Biosolutions.

Background on Immune Biosolutions inc.
Immune Biosolutions is a company that uses the unique properties of the avian immune system to generate novel antibodies for the development of new immunotherapies, especially for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Building external partnerships is integral to Immune Biosolutions’ strategic development. The company is located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. immunebiosolutions.com

SOURCE Immune Biosolutions