SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Discovery By Tonix Pharmaceuticals Published In Microorganisms

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp, a comprehensive biopharmaceutical company with both marketed products and a development pipeline, has announced a new publication in the peer-reviewed journal Microorganisms. The research paper, "High-Throughput Screening Assay for Convalescent Sera in COVID-19: Efficacy, Donor Selection, and Variant Neutralization" by Kota and colleagues, features their unique high-throughput, high-content imaging technology. This technology is used to screen convalescent sera to generate neutralizing, fully-human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other potential pathogens.

Seth Lederman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, stated “This article highlights Tonix’s capabilities in developing fully human mAbs against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens. Our phenotypic imaging system can be used to identify antibodies to counter SARS-CoV-2 and its variants and potentially other infectious agents.”

He further continued, “COVID-19 rates are on the rise again, and there is growing concern that the short-term protection provided by mRNA vaccines may not be sufficient to control COVID-19 as a public health threat. Our new publication highlights the capabilities of Tonix’s screening and therapeutic discovery and development technologies.”

Tonix Pharmaceuticals is actively pursuing several research and development initiatives to prevent and treat viral illnesses. One of their key projects is TNX-801, a live-virus vaccine based on horsepox designed to protect against mpox and smallpox. This vaccine is also a crucial component of their Recombinant Pox Virus (RPV) platform, which is used to develop vaccines against other viruses.

Another significant project is TNX-1800, which utilizes RPV technology as a potential COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine has been chosen by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for inclusion in clinical trials under Project NextGen aimed at preventing COVID-19. Additionally, Tonix is developing TNX-4200, an orally available CD45 antagonist with broad-spectrum efficacy against various viral families.

Tonix recently secured a $34 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to establish the physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and safety attributes of TNX-4200. This funding will support an Investigational New Drug submission and a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study.

Tonix’s infectious disease programs are supported by their state-of-the-art research facilities, including a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab and an Animal Biosafety Level 3 (ABSL-3) facility at their research and development center in Frederick, Maryland. This center is located within Maryland’s "I-270 biotech corridor," positioning it near the heart of the U.S. biodefense research community.