Analysis of related patents on coronavirus monoclonal antibody therapy

ABSTRACT

Coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and the recently epidemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), seriously threaten human health and cause significant economic losses. Monoclonal antibodies targeting coronaviruscs may inhibit viral infection by blocking viral binding to the receptor on cells. In this study, the patent applications and clinical trial results for monoclonal antibody drugs against coronavirus were analyzed primarily to provide ideas and references for the application of monoclonal antibodies in the fight against COVID-19, and to accelerate the drug development process. There are currently no established patents related to the monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, both due to COVID-19's relatively recent emergence, and due to the lengthy patent application and publication process. A thorough global analysis of monoclonal antibody patent applications indicates a total of 194 diagnostic monoclonal antibody techniques, accounting for 63%, and 113 therapeutic monoclonal antibody techniques, accounting for 37%. Among those applications related to therapeutic monoclonal antibody technology, product patent applications dominate, with a total number of 96, accounting for 85%. According to the geographical analysis of applicants for coronavirus therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, there are 35 patent applications from, accounting for 31%, and 78 foreign patent applications, accounting for 69%. The analysis of the target of the coronavirus therapeutic monoclonal antibody-related patent applications indicates that there are 61 patent applications for monoclonal antibodies specific to the virus's own antigen, accounting for 54%. This type of monoclonal antibody specifically targets viral antigens to suppress viruses, whereas the other 52 patent applications in this category target viral non-specific monoclonal antibodies, accounting for 46%. Amongst current studies on the monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. relevant patent applications for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are mainly based on products, and the target is the S protein or its receptor binding region (RBD), which prevents virus infection of cells. Currently, there are no available therapeutic monoclonal antibody drugs against coronavirus. The monoclonal antibody drug specifically targeting the S protein of MERS-CoV is still in clinical trials. Three monoclonal antibody drugs treating for COVID-19 are also in clinical trials, all of which involve second use of the known monoclonal antibodies in their mechanisms. The RBD of SARS-CoV-2 has common-epitope peptide with SARS-CoV. By verifying the effect of the monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV in the treatment of COVID-19, patent applications for the use of the monoclonal antibody against COVID-19 can be designed. Methods of blocking monoclonal antibodies against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 can be used as potential drug mechanisms for the treatment of COVID-19. Related patent applications and drug development will also be hot spots in the future.