Amgen and Adaptive Team up for Neutralizing Antibody COVID-19 Treatment

Amgen and Adaptive Biotechnologies, a commercial-stage biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA, announced on April 2, 2020 that they are entering into a partnership to develop fully human neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 to prevent or treat COVID-19. Financial details of the agreement have not been finalized.

According to an Amgen press release, Adaptive will use its high-throughput platform to screen the genetic diversity of the B-cell receptors from patients that have recovered from COVID-19, while Amgen will use its drug development capabilities to select, develop, and manufacture antibodies to bind and neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, deCODE Genetics, an Iceland-based subsidiary of Amgen, will gather genetic information from individuals previously infected with the virus.

"We are extremely motivated to join forces with our trusted partner, Amgen, to tackle this global health crisis," said Chad Robins, CEO and co-founder of Adaptive Biotechnologies, in the press release. "This partnership expands our drug discovery capabilities, demonstrating the power and versatility of our immune medicine platform."

"Our strong history of collaboration with Adaptive gives us the ability to immediately mobilize our combined resources to help address the urgency in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and CEO at Amgen, in the press release. “After swiftly obtaining viral gene sequences from hundreds of patients, Amgen was motivated to use these insights and quickly pair them with our drug development and manufacturing capabilities.  Working with Adaptive and using their viral-neutralizing antibody platform will expedite our ability to bring a promising new medicine into clinical trials as quickly as possible."

Source: Amgen