It was the second such breakthrough this week by IIBR scientists, who earlier this week said they had successfully isolated a key coronavirus antibody.

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Bennet, on Monday, called the step a "significant breakthrough" toward a possible treatment for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that is the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Rivlin met with the scientists spearheading the development of a series of antibodies that effectively neutralize the violent virus through various mechanisms originating in infected people.

The president also discussed the possibility of building a vaccine production plant in Yeroham in southern Israel and urged Bennett to expedite its construction.

IIBR scientists believe the technological breakthrough could shorten the process of finding a cure, which will span several months, and should provide protection even if the virus mutates. 

In the coming days, the IIBR will file a patent for the antibodies it developed and later publish their work in a scientific journal for peer-based review. 

"Last week we celebrated 72 years of independence, and biological independence is critical for the State of Israel," Rivlin said during his visit. "The entire world is hoping for the day an antibody is found, a vaccine, a cure or treatment that will allow us to save lives. From my conversations with world leaders, it's apparent that when it comes to breakthroughs and innovation, their eyes are on us. 

"The process is complex and lengthy, but any breakthrough you achieve is a significant step toward victory. I'm hopeful that the 'deliverer will come out of Zion' – a delivery that will help us guarantee the health of anyone whose life is in danger, allow us to free grandma and grandpa and the entire at-risk population from this difficult quarantine, and to liberate the entire economy," the president said. 

"This institution is our pride," he told the researchers. "Thank you, you are the glory of the State of Israel."

Bennett said: "This is a great day for Israel. This is another tremendous Israeli breakthrough in less than a week, which will help us cope not only with the current strain of the coronavirus but with possible mutations. I instructed the defense establishment and the IIBR to move ahead at the highest speed to develop a mass cure. We will not spare money or resources and do everything in our power to shorten the time it takes to have a commercial medicine."

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The "monoclonal neutralizing antibody" developed at the Israel Institute for Biological Research "can neutralize [the disease-causing coronavirus] inside carriers' bodies," Bennett said in a statement.

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Bennett visited the IIBR on Monday where he was briefed "on a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote for the coronavirus."

A statement from the defense minister quoted IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira as saying that the antibody formula was being patented, after which an international manufacturer would be sought to mass-produce it.

Shapira said the developmental stage for the antibody was complete. The antibody has yet to receive an official name.

The IIBR has been leading Israeli efforts to develop a treatment and vaccine for the coronavirus, including the testing of blood from those who recovered from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.

Antibodies in such samples – immune-system proteins that are residues of successfully overcoming the coronavirus – are widely seen as a key to developing a possible cure.

The antibody reported as having been isolated at the IIBR is monoclonal, meaning it was derived from a single recovered cell and is thus potentially of more potent value in yielding a treatment.

Elsewhere, there have been coronavirus treatments developed from antibodies that are polyclonal, or derived from two or more cells of different ancestry, the magazine Science Direct reported in its May issue.

It should be noted that experts estimate the testing period for the antibody could be at least one year. They also stressed that at this stage the antibody has only been researched in a lab and that many hurdles must be crossed before it is turned into a medicine.

About 100 research groups around the world are pursuing vaccines, with nearly a dozen in the early stages of human trials or poised to start. But so far there's no way to predict which -- if any -- vaccine will work safely, or even to name a front-runner.

"I am proud of the staff at the Israel Institute for Biological Research who have made a huge breakthrough.… the Defense Ministry in its entirety will continue operating on the front lines of the war against the coronavirus," Bennett added.

Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged $60 million (about NIS 210 million) at an international donors conference to raise funds for the joint fight against the virus.

"I am confident that Israel's leading research institutions, its world-renowned scientists and our unique culture of innovation can enable us to play an important role in advancing solutions… We hope to work with other countries to leverage our unique capabilities to find solutions for the benefit of all," Netanyahu said.

Former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky, the winner of the 2020 Genesis Prize, announced Monday that he will donate the $1 million award to organizations fighting the coronavirus pandemic and assisting people most affected by the outbreak.

Israel was one of the first countries to close its borders and impose increasingly stringent restrictions on movement to hamper the domestic coronavirus outbreak. It has reported 16,246 cases and 235 deaths from the illness.

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The study was published in Nature Medicine this week and was the product of a collaboration between Professor Varda Shalev, who is the head of the Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi Research and Innovation Institute and Technion researchers Professor Roy Kishony and Dr. Idan Yelin.

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One of the challenges modern medicine faces is coping with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. It is estimated that some 3,000 to 5,000 Israelis die each year in hospitals after being infected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The overuse of antibiotics can also lead to bacteria developing new resistance to antibiotics, and lose their effectivity. One way to prevent the development of resistant bacteria is to reduce the repetitive use of antibiotics in medical treatments. Infections caused by antibiotic overuse may not only develop resistance but may become "treatment-resistant and deadly," the study said.

By using artificial intelligence along with patient data, scientists would be able to engineer specific antibiotics, catering them to each patient's needs.

"It is now possible to computationally predict the level of bacterial resistance for infection-causing bacteria," Yelin said. "This is done by weighing of demographic data, including age, gender, pregnancy … together with levels of resistance [which are] measured in the patient's previous urine cultures as well as their drug purchase history."

This unique breakthrough in Israeli medicine will also pave the way for additional artificial intelligence use in medical fields.

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