Forbes July 6, 2022
This is part of a continuing series describing antiviral antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this series, we will discuss the fundamental nature of virus evolution, how SARS-CoV-2 has mutated to evade neutralizing antibodies, and our latest attempts to fight against these mutations with more recent and improved antibody candidates.
The latest versions of Omicron leading the charge of recent new cases are BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.75. Since its discovery in late 2021, dozens of variants of the original Omicron strain have caused hundreds of millions of infections. Every strain carries a slightly different genetic sequence due to mutations developed over time. These mutations are sometimes inconsequential but often impact major viral characteristics including infectivity and immune evasion.
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