Without medical research, there is no solution to infectious diseases like coronavirus.
Your donation will help fund this life-saving research.
Our researchers responded immediately to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are driving or collaborating on projects locally and globally to develop new ways to treat and prevent infection. This includes:
- Engineering antibodies for COVID-19 protection and therapy
- Tracing coronavirus evolution
- Developing tests to predict COVID-19 infection severity.
We need your support to get this urgent work done and help protect those most at risk.
This affects all of us. Donate today to help fight coronavirus.
Your donation directly supports Garvan's COVID-19 projects.
Right now we are developing targeted interventions to stop severe COVID-19 through our antibody, immunology and genomics research. We've fast-tracked four research programs targeting COVID-19.
Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
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Garvan's COVID-19 research
Garvan is using its expertise in antibodies and genomics to do three things:
- To try and stop the spread of COVID-19 infection
- To stop people that are infected needing to be hospitalised, or placed in ICU
- And ultimately: to decrease the mortality rate of COVID-19.
Our approach involves multiple avenues — because there will be more than one answer.
We're investigating genetically engineered antibodies, and undertaking multiple immune genomic analyses. This genomics focus helps us trace the evolution & changes of the virus, and uncover which genes are key for protection and which are indicated for severe COVID-19 symptoms.
A fast-track way to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients needing ICU is to create targeted antibodies in the lab.
These human monoclonal antibodies are hundreds of times more efficacious than standard chemical drugs. Their success rate is higher; they can also be produced at scale and quickly tested for safety. And: they provide immediate immunity for a period of time.
These antibodies bypass the need for a vaccine and could be given to provide immediate immunity, both as treatment and prevention, to at-risk individuals. We are now optimising these antibodies, then we 'll move to clinical trials.
- Read more about Prof Daniel Christ's rapid engineering of these antibodies.