This week, Why Doctor is interested in the treatments developed in France against Covid-19. Slower than for vaccines, research is progressing despite everything and several drugs are currently being tested. Focus today on avdoralimab, an antibody promoted by the APHM in patients hospitalized for severe pneumonia induced by Covid-19.
In the shadow of vaccines, treatments for Covid-19 are the other key to tackling the pandemic. Olivier Véran recently, and for the first time, presented two “treatments that give hope of being able to treat the disease”: interferons and monoclonal antibodies. French research is advancing on several potential treatments, the results of which are eagerly awaited. Éric Vivier is Professor of Immunology at Assistance Publique – Hopitaux Universitaires de Marseille and Scientific Director of Innate Pharma, and directs the FORCE study which analyzes the effect of avdoralimab, an anti-C5aR monoclonal antibody, in severe pneumonia induced by Covid-19.
– How it works ?
“In a first preclinical study launched last year, and published in Nature, we noticed that in 100% of the cases of infected people, the complement cascade, about thirty molecules which circulate in the blood and which activate each other, was activated. Looking more closely, we found that among them, one molecule, C5a, was greatly increased in all patients and proportionally to the intensity of the disease.
We therefore sought to analyze the consequences of blocking the C5a pathway. This molecule attracts blood cells, especially neutrophils and monocytes which are very inflammatory. The model we propose is that C5a brings these cells to the lung where they contribute to the cytokine storm. Advoralimab is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the C5a receptor and is developed by Innate Pharma.”
– For who ?
“Under the leadership of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, avdoralimab is currently being tested in patients who have severe pneumonia induced by Covid-19. Patients are divided into two categories: those who need respiratory resuscitation and those who do not..”
– How is the study going?
“In the first study, we only analyzed what happens in the patient’s body. Then, we did tests on mouse models where we mimicked lung inflammation and showed that we can treat it with the antibody advoralimab. We are now in a phase 2 study which includes 208 patients. This is randomized and carried out double-blind against placebo..”
– For when ?
“We cannot give a date but we hope to go as soon as possible. We hope for the best for the patients and therefore for the molecule, but we are obviously waiting for the results to consider the rest..”
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