Antibody prophylaxis shields Macaques from severe H5N1
Influenza virus pandemics and seasonal epidemics present significant threats to global health, resulting in numerous fatalities each year. The recurrent zoonotic spillovers of influenza viruses, which possess the potential for human pandemic transmission, underscore the urgent necessity for effective preventive measures. A study published in Science examines the application of the broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) MEDI8852* as a pre-exposure prophylaxis in cynomolgus macaques, with the objective of evaluating its efficacy in preventing severe disease caused by aerosolized highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infection. The findings of this investigation demonstrate that pre-exposure prophylaxis with MEDI8852 provides substantial protection to cynomolgus macaques against severe respiratory disease following infection with the H5N1 virus. The antibody's efficacy was found to be dose-dependent. Furthermore, the study did not identify any escape mutations in the viral sequences after the administration of the antibody, indicating that the prophylactic treatment does not select for viral variants that could compromise its effectiveness. These results underscore the potential of bnAb prophylaxis in mitigating severe influenza disease and provide valuable insights for the development of preventive strategies against future influenza outbreaks.
* Broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) MEDI8852 is a specially designed monoclonal antibody that targets conserved epitopes on the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza viruses. Its design is aimed at providing broader protection against multiple strains of influenza A viruses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) variants such as H5N1.