Development and characterization of anti-SARS-CoV-2 intravenous immunoglobulin from COVID-19 convalescent plasma.

The authors describe the developmental process of intravenous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin from anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody-containing plasma. Furthermore, the authors investigated its safety and protective activity in animal models. The manufacturing process included standard ethanol fractionation, chromatographic purification steps and virus removal or inactivation. The authors produced pure and safe immunoglobulin for intravenous administration, with 98.1 ± 6.5 mg/ml protein content, of which 97.6 ± 0.7% was IgG. The concentration factor of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies was 9.4 ± 1.4-times. Safety studies in animals showed no signs of acute/chronic toxicity or allergenic or thrombogenic properties. Intravenous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin protected immunosuppressed hamsters against SARS-Cov-2. The obtained results can allow the start of clinical trials to study the safety and efficacy in healthy adults.