A Llamas‑Led Breakthrough in the Fight Against COVID‑19
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In a twist that could have come straight from a scientific sitcom, scientists in Brussels and Austin discovered that a trusty llama named Winter might hold the key to a new COVID‑19 treatment.*
Why a Llama? Why Now?
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In 2016, a side project pulled the group into the world of camel‑derived antibodies.
Fast forward to 2023: a brand‑new coronavirus pops up, and the team realizes that the llama’s unique immune system could be the missing puzzle piece.
Winter was given “safe” versions of the older SARS and MERS viruses, and her blood was swabbed to capture the secret sauce—the tiny, powerful nanobodies.
What Are Nanobodies?
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Think of them as mini‑bosses that fit the coronavirus’s “crown” (spike proteins) like a perfect glove.
Llamas, like other camelids, produce both standard antibodies and these smaller, easier‑to‑handle fragments.
From Laboratory to Living Labs
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The Belgian team, spearheaded by Bert Schepens and Xavier Saelens, sifted through the nanobody varieties to pick the strongest performers.
Next step: animal testing, with a goal to roll out human trials by year‑end.
Pharmaceutical partners are already in the mix, ready to turn lab magic into market reality.
Not the First Llama‑BFF of Biotech
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Back in 2018, Sanofi took a hefty €3.9 billion to buy a nanobody specialist, Ablynx, indicating that the llama‑nanobody craze isn’t brand new.
Yet Winter’s story adds a fresh chapter to this evolving narrative.
Bottom Line*
“The new coronavirus is just a cousin of old SARS—same crown, same spikes. If we can lock that cousin in, we might keep the family tradition of pandemics at bay—a win for everyone.”
