Previously submitted to: JMIR Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (no longer under consideration since Dec 16, 2025)
Date Submitted: Dec 3, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
In silico evaluation of ten monoclonal antibodies neutralization power of SARS-CoV-2 variants EG.5, BA.2.86 and JN.1
ABSTRACT
Background:
The current globally dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants are showing immune escape and reduced susceptibility to antiviral drugs. Therefore, agencies responsible for drug evaluation and regulation such as the FDA and EMA are revising their emergency authorization use of several COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies. These NAbs proved to be unlikely effective against new variants especially Omicron descendants and several pharmaceutical companies are pursuing the development of more potent neutralizing antibodies.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies neutralization power and to assess the effectiveness of the available SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies on the newly emerged variants Eris, Pirola and JN.1.
Methods:
Previously developed In Silico method w to assess 10 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies propensity to neutralize the new Omicron’s subvariants EG.5, BA.2.86 and JN.1, based on comparative binding affinity of 3D generated models and previous experimental and clinical observations. Nine of these NAbs were once granted emergency use authorization, and one is currently under clinical investigation.
Results:
Our results showed that for EG.5 there was either a decrease or no change of the binding energy with 9 antibodies and a significant increase with one antibody. For Pirola (BA.2.86) and JN.1, a significant increase was observed with two antibodies. This data indicates that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant escapes neutralization of most of the available therapeutic NAbs. However, the two NAbs that showed an increase in the binding affinity with the new variants may be considered for therapeutic use. The In silico predictions of the clinical usefulness of 10 anti SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are consistent with published clinical and experimental data.
Conclusions:
Computational predictions of the neutralizing potential of existing anti SARS-Cov-2 antibodies is very useful in defining NAbs or NAbs combination that could be effective for the treatment countermeasure of the new Omicron’s subvariants Eris (EG.5), Pirola (BA.2.86) and JN.1 or potential novel variants.
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