'Terrific breakthrough, antibody to fight coronavirus, ready in lab', claims Israeli defence minister

Bennett, on Monday, expressed joy at the 'breakthrough' calling it an ‘amazing achievement’ and declared that the antibody development phase was over and the next step was to patent the treatment and contact international companies that could commercially produce it.

He said that the facility is approaching pharma companies so that mass production of the drug can start.

The Times of Israel quoted Bennett's official statement describing the antibody that "attacks the virus in a monoclonal way and can neutralize it within the bodies of those ill.” 

The Minister released this statement after his visit to the IIBR, a secretive unit that works under the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

"I am proud of the institute staff for this terrific breakthrough. Their creativity and the Jewish mind brought about this amazing achievement," Bennett declared.

The statement, however, did not clarify whether human trials have been conducted or not.

Around the world, about 100 research groups are engaged in developing a vaccine against the Coronavirus, with nearly a dozen in the early stages of human trials or poised to start human trials.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu urged the development of an anti-coronavirus vaccine in early February when Tel Aviv had not yet been impacted by the pandemic, saying that "Israel might be ahead of the world" if "we work fast enough". There were reports of a "breakthrough" in March, later denied by the Defence Ministry. It is not clear whether the current discovery is connected with those developments.

Scientists from different countries, including Russia, China, the United States and Europe have been working on a potential vaccine against the virus since January. Many suggest that vaccine development will take 18 months or longer, as US coronavirus task force expert Dr Anthony Fauci predicted that it would take a minimum of 12 months, even if everything goes perfectly.