Significant breakthrough in fight against Covid-19: Dow University team prepares intravenous immunoglobulin

Pakistani scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the fight against Covid-19 as Dow University's research team has prepared intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with plasma obtained from recovered patients of Coronavirus through which Covid-19 victims can be treated.

Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Saeed Quraishy called it a very important breakthrough in the war against Covid-19.

This way of treatment is a safe, low risk and highly effective against Coronavirus. Through this method, Immunoglobulin is prepared after separation of antibodies found in the blood of a recovered patient from the corona.

This method is considerably different from plasma therapy and it should be noted that the treatment by hyper immunoglobulin (H-IVIG) is approved by the US Federal agency, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for normal conditions. Plasma therapy, on the other hand, is only allowed in emergencies due to its side effects.

The Dow University research team led by Dr Shaukat Ali has developed this H-IVIG after days of continuous hardwork.

The team was able to collect first blood sample in March 2020 and managed to isolate antibodies chemically, purified it and later concentrated these antibodies using the ultra-filtration techniques that remove the remaining unwanted materials from the final product.

This is the first global report of isolation, formulation and safety demonstration of immunoglobulin purified from recovered Covid-19 patient and can be a ray of hope in this time of crisis when the whole nation expects national researchers to come forward and serve the nation.

The method is also a type of passive immunization but uses purified antibodies rather than the whole plasma. The treatment is considered safer and more effective than plasma transfusion as it does not carry the undesired component of blood like plasma proteins, potential bacterial and viral pathogens.

Such purified antibodies are commercially available globally against diseases like tetanus, rabies, Influenza and hepatitis. The same strategy has been effectively used in the time of other viral epidemics like MERS, SARS and EBOLA.

The team used blood donated by recovered Covid-19 patients to purify antibodies, capable of neutralising corona virus. Laboratory testing and safety trial of the formulated product (experimental vials) in animals have been successful. The Vice chancellor Professor Saeed Quraishy has assigned task to clinicians at Dow hospital to team up with researchers to devise a strategy for fulfilling ethical and regulatory requirements for trials.

Lead researcher Dr Shaukat Ali is Principal of Dow College of Biotechnology and other team members included Dr Shobha Luxmi, Syed Muneeb uddin, Mir Rashid Ali, Ayesha Ali, Mujtaba Khan, Fatima Anjum, Dr Sohaib Tauheed.