Preclinical evaluation of a fully human, quadrivalent-hantavirus polyclonal antibody derived from a non-human source.

ABSTRACT

Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses that cause severe disease in infected humans. In the New World, major hantaviruses include Andes virus (ANDV) and Sin Nombre virus (SNV) causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. In the Old World, major hantaviruses include Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Puumala virus (PUUV) causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Here, we produced a pan-hantavirus therapeutic (SAB-163) comprised of fully human immunoglobulin purified from the plasma of transchromosomic bovines (TcB) vaccinated with hantavirus DNA plasmids coding for the major glycoproteins of ANDV, SNV, HTNV, and PUUV. SAB-163 has potent neutralizing antibodies (PRNT50 > 200,000) against the four targeted hantavirus and cross-neutralization against several other heterotypic hantaviruses. At a dosage of 10 mg/kg, SAB-163 is bioavailable in Syrian hamsters out to 70 days post-treatment with a half-life of 10-15 days. At this same dosage, SAB-163 administered 1 day before, or 5 days after exposure, protected all hamsters from lethal disease caused by ANDV. At a higher dose, partial but significant protection was achieved as late as day 6. SAB-163 also protected hamsters in the HTNV, PUUV, and SNV infection models when administered 1 day before or up to 3 days after challenge. This pan-hantavirus therapeutic is attractive because it is fully human, multi-targeted, safe, stable at 4°C, and effective in animal models. SAB-163 was evaluated for safety in GLP human tissue binding studies and a GLP rabbit toxicity study at 365 and 730 mg/kg and is investigational new drug enabled for phase 1 clinical trial(s). IMPORTANCE This candidate polyclonal human IgG product was produced using synthetic gene-based vaccines and transgenic cows. Having now gone through cGMP production, GLP safety testing, and efficacy testing in animals, SAB-163 is the world's most advanced anti-hantavirus antibody-based medical countermeasure, aside from convalescent human plasma. Importantly, SAB-163 targets the most prevalent hantaviruses on four continents.