Collection of Convalescent SARS Plasma by Apheresis

Beginning in February 2003, there was an outbreak with a novel coronavirus causing an atypical pneumonia, subsequently referred to as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). This syndrome is associated with a high mortality rate and has no proven treatment. There is, however, some evidence that treatment with convalescent plasma was beneficial. The primary purpose of this protocol is to collect plasma by apheresis from patients that recovered from SARS, and process this plasma into a high titer anti-SARS intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). This will be a collaboration between the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Cangene Corporation has been contracted to manufacture the collected plasma in the United States (U.S.) into an IVIG product, which can then be used for pre-clinical efficacy studies under an IND in a clinical trial if SARS recurs. It is intended that the treatment trial would be conducted in Hong Kong and/or the U.S., as well as any other place the disease recurs.