A new research project into plasma transfusion with Covid-19 antibodies is getting €4 million in support from the European Commission.
The project, SUPPORT-E, “will coordinate and enable clinical studies on convalescent plasma transfusions performed across Europe,” the Commission said.
“The funding is part of the Commision’s €1 billion pledge for coronavirus research and innovation, which comes under Horizon 2020 and is directed towards the development of vaccines, new treatments and diagnostic tools to prevent the spread of the virus,” the Commission explained.
“Using plasma from patients that have recovered from Covid-19 and developed an immune response is a very promising avenue for treating the disease, but we need more evidence about its efficacy and safety,” said Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
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The project “will help not only determine safety and efficacy, but also to better understand which patients should be transfused and how, as well as how the donations should be tested and selected to guarantee the best treatment outcome,” according to the Commission.
The institution “is playing an important role by supporting international efforts to enhance evidence and assess the potential of this therapy as well as to ensure it has no serious adverse effects,” she continued.
The Belgian universities of Leuven and Liège are also conducting research into the use of plasma, Het Laatste Nieuws reported, and a professor from the University of Ghent ran a first experiment on a Belgian coronavirus patient in April.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
