In-Use Stability and Functional Efficacy of a Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail (TwinRab™) for Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis
Rabies remains a major public health problem in India, accounting for nearly one-third of global human deaths each year. Limited access to human and equine rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs) continues to restrict effective post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) coverage, particularly in resource-limited settings. TwinRab™, a two-antibody monoclonal cocktail containing docaravimab and miromavimab, was developed as a standardized, scalable alternative to plasma-derived RIGs. This study evaluated the in-use stability and biological efficacy of TwinRab™ under simulated field-use conditions. In the in vitro arm, TwinRab™ samples from 300 IU/mL and 600 IU/mL batches were diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride to obtain twofold, fivefold, and 10-fold dilutions and stored at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) for 4-24 hours. Potency was measured using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) against the CVS-11 rabies virus strain. In the in vivo arm, undiluted TwinRab™ was administered six or 24 hours after viral challenge in a Syrian hamster model, and survival outcomes were compared with human RIG (Kamrab). TwinRab™ retained its neutralizing potency after dilution and ambient storage for up to 24 hours. The 600 IU/mL batch showed no significant loss of activity across all dilutions (p > 0.05), while minor but statistically significant differences were noted at higher dilutions of the 300 IU/mL batch (p < 0.05). In vivo, TwinRab™ achieved 90% survival when administered six hours post-challenge and 70% when administered after 24 hours, demonstrating comparable efficacy to Kamrab. These findings confirm that TwinRab™ maintains stability and functional efficacy under conditions that simulate routine clinical practice. Its thermostability, potency, and protective efficacy highlight its potential as a field-adaptable, next-generation alternative to conventional RIGs for PEP, particularly in high-burden regions with limited cold-chain infrastructure.
Authors
- Trayambak Dutta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0231-5893)
- Tushar R. Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9074-6380)
- Manish Mahajan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-344X)
- Mihir Patel
- Sanjay Bandyopadhyay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0812-2810)
- Mamta Soni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9034-4795)
- Hiral Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6783-7441)
- Pankaj Kalita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1720-3483)
- Sanjeev Kumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2189-0458)
- Chintan Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6405-6159)
- Niraj Sakhrani
Institutions
- Zydus Lifesciences Limited (India) (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-12-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.98418
- Primary Topic
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00