The Clodomiro Picado Institute of the University of Costa Rica created its first test lot with plasma on patients that have NOT had Covid-19, which helps verify its line of productions to process the plasma of Covid-19 convalescent patients.

What this means is that the Institute now is completely prepared to receive the plasma from Covid-19 convalescent patients when the Social Security Service (CCSS) sends it. This will allow the production of purified and condensed immunoglobulins.

The Clodomiro Picado Institute (ICP-UCR) is known for its production of high-quality antivenoms for victims of snakebites which are used in different regions of Latin America, Africa, Oceania and Sri Lanka.

“The work of these past few weeks has been focused on the production of antivenoms with the purpose of filling out our storage with enough product to satisfy demand. This will give us space and clears out clean room agenda with the idea of processing the plasma in the moment the CCSS sends it”, explained Dr. Guillermo León, coordinator of the Industrial Division of ICP-UCR.

The ICP-UCR had to modify its production lab with the objective of incorporation an alternative line for the processing of human plasma. The functionality of this line was verified through the test lot.

Scientists at the ICP-UCR are following three lines of investigation and development to find a possible treatment for Covid-19. The first option is to use the plasma of a Covid-19 recovered patient to fraction the part where the antibodies where generated in response to the virus and use this through a transfusion in patients with active cases of Covid-19.

The second investigation follows the same line but would purify the antibodies produced standardizing the neutralizing power and injecting it on a sick patient.

The third option consists in the using the same concept of generation and production of antivenoms that the ICP uses on a daily basis but in this case instead of generating antibodies for snake poison it would generate antibodies against the proteins of the virus.