Despite recent availability of
vaccines against
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (
SARS-CoV-2), there is an urgent need for specific anti-
SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Monoclonal
neutralizing antibodies are an important
drug class in the global fight against the
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic due to their
ability to convey immediate
protection and their potential to be used as both, prophylactic and
therapeutic drugs. Clinically used
neutralizing antibodies against respiratory
viruses are currently injected intravenously, which can
lead to suboptimal pulmonary
bioavailability and thus to a lower
effectiveness. Here we describe DZIF-10c, a fully
human monoclonal
neutralizing antibody that binds the receptor-binding domain of
SARS-CoV-2 spike
protein. DZIF-10c displays an exceptionally high neutralizing
potency against
SARS-CoV-2 and retains activity against the variants of concern B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. Importantly, not only systemic but also intranasal application of DZIF-10c abolished presence of infectious particles in the
lungs of
SARS-CoV-2 infected
mice and mitigated
lung pathology. Along with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, these results highlight DZIF-10c as a novel
human SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody with high
in vitro and in vivo
antiviral potency. The successful intranasal application of DZIF-10c paves the way for clinical trials investigating topical delivery of anti-
SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Significance StatementMonoclonal
neutralizing antibodies are important in the global fight against the
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic due to their
ability to convey immediate
protection. However, their intravenous application might
lead to suboptimal
bioavailability in the
lung. We here precisely characterize a new monoclonal
neutralizing antibody (DZIF-10c) that binds to the receptor binding domain of the spike
protein of
SARS-CoV-2. DZIF-10c neutralizes
SARS-CoV-2 with exceptionally high
potency and maintains activity against circulating variants of concern. The antibody has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and protects
mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, we show that
intranasal administration of DZIF-10c generates protective
efficacy. These results not only identify DZIF-10c as a novel highly potent
neutralizing antibody, but further pave the way for a topical application of anti-
SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.