Orgenesis launches BioShield Program to fight spread of viruses such as coronavirus

Orgenesis Inc (NASDAQ:ORGS) has announced the launch of its BioShield Program, which is designed to use neutralizing human antibodies as a possible rapid defense and to potentially mitigate the spread of viruses such as the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease.  

The goal of the BioShield Program is to increase the level of preparedness to fight against emerging outbreaks and help avoid a global pandemic, the company said in a statement Wednesday. 

Orgenesis said it plans to leverage its POCare anti-viral technologies as part of the development efforts of the BioShield Program, including exploration of alternative and breakthrough processes to induce neutralizing antibody discovery and validation against targeted pathogens. 

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The BioShield Program is designed to combine different technologies in preclinical stage to induce a response of the immune system within selected animal models, which could potentially speed the discovery of neutralizing antibodies. 

Orgenesis’ cell-based vaccine approach, which utilizes irradiated permissive cells that have the ability to activate an endogenous immune response, is a component of the BioShield Program. 

When Orgenesis’ cell-based vaccine is infused into a humanized mouse model, these activated cells are designed to induce generation of neutralizing antibodies.

If the company is successful in validating these technologies, Orgenesis said it believes this could represent a platform for the potential rapid identification and isolation of human neutralizing antibodies to be tested as antiviral therapies against current and future emerging outbreaks. 

Given the health emergency and the need for preparedness against future pathogen outbreaks, Orgenesis said it has committed resources to immediately pursue development of the BioShield Program.

“When faced with new infectious diseases, there is a need for a rapid, affordable and effective solution to shut down the pathogen outbreak,” said CEO Vered Caplan.

“By specifically leveraging Orgenesis’ POCare anti-viral platform, our objective with the BioShield Program is to provide a rapid and affordable solution to contain the spread of a viral pathogen or new emerging outbreaks.”

Orgenesis, based in Germantown, Maryland, is focused on accelerating the commercialization of transforming the delivery of cell and gene therapies while also lowering costs.

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Story by ProactiveInvestors