COVID-19 antibody treatment could be effective, but won't replace vaccine, medical experts say

A California-based biotech company said Friday that they believe they have a cure for the coronavirus in the form of an antibody that provides "100 [percent] inhibition" but the road to getting it to market may be an arduous one, Fox News reports.

"We want to emphasize there is a cure. There is a solution that works 100 percent," Sorrento Therapeutics founder and CEO Dr. Henry Ji told Fox News exclusively. "If we have the neutralizing antibody in your body, you don't need the social distancing. You can open up a society without fear."

With the number of COVID-19-related deaths expected to hit 100,000 by June 1, a host of medical researchers are scrambling to find antibodies, optimistic that they could provide a remedy or preventative care in less time than it would take to develop a vaccine. However, finding a successful antibody or convalescent plasma treatment for COVID-19 could present challenges.

"The best way to control infectious disease [is] where a vaccine comes in," Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Senior Scholar with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security tells Fox News. "So, obviously vaccines are going to be much more valuable than any kind of treatment. You don't need treatment because you don't get infected.

Adalja adds, however, that there are similarities between monoclonal antibodies and vaccines.