Antibody treatments like Ab8 are different than vaccines, although some antibody therapies can help prevent diseases. Unlike vaccines, antibodies can be used to treat people who are already sick. Antibodies also may help people who can’t get vaccinated or whose immune systems don’t have a strong response to vaccines, such as older adults or people with compromised immune systems. However, vaccines generally provide longer-lasting protection and are more cost-effective. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing widespread illness and death, antibody treatments like Ab8 could prove important until a vaccine is approved and ready for wide use. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge facing humanity, but biomedical science and human ingenuity are likely to overcome it,” Dr. Mellors says. “We hope that the antibodies we have discovered will contribute to that triumph.”