Thread by @DearPandemic

1/ Q: What is this news about an antibody “100% cure” I just heard? Please tell me this is true!

A: While we want nothing more to wake up to this type of #COVID19 “game-changer” news, we should read this story with both cautious optimism AND skepticism. More below

2/ The news story in question from Friday came from a press release by #Sorrento Therapeutics, whose stock went up 153% on the news that it had found an antibody that provides “100% inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection of healthy cells after four days incubation.”

3/ The antibody works by preventing the #virus from attaching to the host’s healthy cell, which means it can’t enter the cell and reproduce: biospace.com/article/sorren…

This does sound like promising news, so file under cautiously optimistic. Thought there are some caveats:

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1)This is a “lab” study, meaning a test tube/petri dish rather than in real humans.

2)The actual study/data hasn't been released in a scientific pre-print OR peer reviewed paper.

3) This is not an overnight “cure”: They explain..

5/ "We anticipate having enough material to start a Phase I trial in patients in the ICU within two months."

"If it is effective and safe in the patients, they would expect to start a larger Phase II trial in August or possibly September.”

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4) Finally, there seems to be a pattern to pharmaceutical press releases without accompanying data that result in large stock surges…enough reason to maintain some healthy skepticism until further results come out.

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With all of the treatments and #vaccines being tested right now, there will likely a lot of news about “magic bullet” cures.
Real progress will likely be more incremental, but large and cumulative in the medium and longer term.

8/ We have the upmost confidence in all the human brainpower focused on solving the #COVID problem.

Breakthroughs will happen, but they will have to last beyond one news cycle and be vetted thoroughly. 🗞️

We stand ready to use help interpret the firehose of news along the way!