Biotech leader CSL offers to lend its expertise to fight COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases mount, global biotech leader CSL has offered to help governments around the world by lending its expertise, technologies and facilities to help support rapid, scaled development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments. CSL is currently exploring the development of a hyperimmune serum that could be derived from the blood plasma of people who […]

As COVID-19 cases mount, global biotech leader CSL has offered to help governments around the world by lending its expertise, technologies and facilities to help support rapid, scaled development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments.

CSL is currently exploring the development of a hyperimmune serum that could be derived from the blood plasma of people who have recovered from coronavirus. Once an adequate number of recovered patients is identified, CSL could begin to collect their plasma and create a hyperimmune serum enriched with COV-19 antibodies to use as a therapy.

The company’s core business is the development and large-scale manufacture of plasma-based therapies, recombinant proteins and influenza vaccines. CSL Behring, one of CSL’s businesses, is the largest global provider of plasma-based therapies for chronic, life-threatening conditions, such as hemophilia and primary immunodeficiency.

As such, CSL Behring has the expertise and infrastructure to collect plasma, which could enable the company to rapidly produce hyperimmune coronavirus treatments. CSL Behring has recently invested 250 million Swiss francs in expanding its manufacturing capacities in the canton of Bern in order to meet the high demand for its life-saving immunoglobulin products.