Sustained suppression of influenza viruses by a bispecific antibody

The main obstacle in controlling influenza virus infection is the inability to develop a universal vaccine that will be effective against all circulating strains. The current flu vaccines are able to elicit neutralizing antibodies in the vaccinated individuals; however these antibodies fail to neutralize all circulating viruses. The ability of the influenza virus to escape these antibodies has led to the development of alternative approaches for the treatment of influenza virus infection, such as developing broadly neutralizing antibodies that can neutralize a large portion of influenza virus strains. The influenza virus expresses two glycoproteins on its cell surface: the hemagglutinin and the neuraminidase. We have recently developed a bispecific antibody that is designed to neutralize both the hemagglutinin and the neuraminidase glycoproteins. We have demonstrated that this bispecific antibody can neutralize the virus and lock the newly formed viruses in the infected cells. Moreover, we demonstrated in vitro and in vivo that the bispecific antibody has enhanced antiviral activity in comparison with currently available antibodies.