Integral Molecular Enables Rapid Resistance Testing of Vaccines and Drugs Against Emerging Coronavirus Variants

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Feb 05, 2021, 07:45 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Integral Molecular has adapted its SARS-CoV-2 reporter virus particle (RVP) technology to reflect emerging virus variants, enabling safe laboratory testing for viral resistance to vaccines and drugs. The expanded RVP collection encompasses notable variants identified in the UK, South Africa, Japan, Brazil and other countries, as well as over 1,200 other mutants.

"Since the onset of the pandemic, we have anticipated the emergence of viral variants and have been concerned about the potential development of resistant strains," said Kyle Doolan, PhD, Senior Project Leader for molecular biology at Integral Molecular. "To stay ahead of the virus, we developed a rapidly adaptable platform to create RVP variants. Through continuous vigilance we can bring these updated tools to the scientific community on an almost weekly basis."

SARS-CoV-2 RVPs contain the coronavirus spike protein, the primary target of the human immune response, and carry a non-infectious genome that produces an easily measured fluorescent or light emitting signal upon cellular infection. Integral Molecular has over a decade of experience producing large-scale batches of quality-controlled RVPs which are being used as critical reagents in vaccine clinical trials.

Integral Molecular's scientific team will be discussing the use of SARS-CoV-2 RVP variants for resistance testing on February 10, 2021. Partners interested in using SARS-CoV-2 RVPs for their research or diagnostic assays should contact Integral Molecular.

About Integral Molecular

Integral Molecular (www.integralmolecular.com) is the industry leader in discovering and characterizing therapeutic antibodies against membrane proteins, an important group of drug targets found on the surfaces of cells and viruses. 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, auto-immune disorders and viral threats such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Zika, and dengue.

Press Contact:
Integral Molecular, Inc.
Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Communications
215-966-6061
[email protected]
www.integralmolecular.com

SOURCE Integral Molecular