Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are developing a novel coronavirus therapy that they believe has several advantages over existing treatments for the lethal pathogen. The Pitt scientists say their new drug, Ab8, is easier to produce and administer—and more resistant to potential mutations in the virus technically known as SARS-CoV-2—than similar therapies. And, they claim, Ab8 may ultimately be able to both treat and help prevent COVID-19.
There’s a catch, however: Even if Ab8 works like its developers say it could, it may be some time before the drug is available to the public. The Pitt team said it doesn’t expect to begin human trials until next year—even as the president of the United States has made increasingly frantic gestures toward a vaccine possibly being available in a matter of weeks.
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