Integral Molecular's Extensive Collection of SARS-CoV-2 Reporter Virus Variants Supports the Clinical Development of Vaccines and MAbs Against Coronavirus

To aid in the clinical development of new vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) effective against emerging and highly infectious coronavirus variants, Integral Molecular has produced the most extensive catalog of SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped reporter virus particles (RVPs), currently over 65 variants, which enables neutralizing antibodies or serum to be assessed in accordance with recent FDA guidances. 

Integral Molecular has developed SARS-CoV-2 RVPs for all variants of concern and interest, including Delta, Delta Plus, Lambda, and Gamma, as classified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). The company's scientific team constantly monitors a range of sources to identify new SARS-CoV-2 variants, alert customers, and rapidly make RVPs available to researchers. 

The FDA recognizes that current COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutic MAbs may provide reduced protection against emerging variants and has issued guidance for developers testing the efficacy of vaccines and MAbs against such variants. The recognition that a neutralizing antibody response is an important correlate of protection for COVID-19 vaccines further highlights the importance of studying serum neutralization using live virus or the safer alternative, RVPs. 

Integral Molecular's RVPs are "pseudoviruses" that lack the viral components required to cause disease and so can be safely handled under standard laboratory conditions. This greatly facilitates the testing of hundreds or thousands of samples from clinical trials, where RVPs are used to assess neutralizing antibodies against the virus. 

"Virology is at the core of our company," said Benjamin Doranz, CEO of Integral Molecular. "Throughout the last 20 years we have been developing technologies using viral components and have produced large-scale batches of quality-controlled RVPs as a critical reagent to support clinical trials. In the midst of this pandemic, we are proud to support the fight against COVID-19." 

Partners interested in using SARS-CoV-2 RVPs for vaccine or antibody development should contact Integral Molecular.

About Integral Molecular 

Integral Molecular (integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in developing and applying innovative technologies that advance the discovery of therapeutics against difficult protein targets. With 20 years of experience focused on membrane proteins and antibodies, Integral Molecular's technologies have been integrated into the drug discovery pipelines of over 400 biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help discover new therapies for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue viruses.