Monoclonal antibodies for anti-infective therapy

Abstract

Sera of animal origin and hyperimmunoglobulins have dominated serum therapy for a century. Although numerous monoclonal antibodies (MABs) have been developed since the end of the 1980s, particularly for the treatment of immunological and oncological diseases, it will take 20 years before the first anti-infective MAB is approved in the European Union. Interestingly, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous MABs, which are approved in particular for immunological indications, are currently being used to treat the consequences of SARS-CoV‑2 infection, such as pneumonia or hyperimmune reactions. The approved monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of infectious diseases are presented here. In addition, an overview of the current developments, in particular in the treatment of SARS-CoV‑2 infection, is provided.