SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) –A few weeks ago we told you about a Sioux Falls company that appears to be on the verge of a new treatment for not only COVID-19 but other illnesses as well. SAB Biotherapeutics is getting millions from the government to develop its polyclonal antibody treatment and now the company is going public.

SAB is a biopharmaceutical company producing a new class of immunotherapies using fully human polyclonal antibodies. Sounds complicated, so let’s try to simplify it. After years of research, SAB found a way to get cows to produce fully human antibodies in large quantities. When you give those antibodies to people they can fight off a targeted virus. Their treatment for COVID-19 is currently in stage 3 FDA trials.

We talked with founder Eddie Sullivan earlier this month, who told us Monoclonal Antibody Treatments represent a $140 billion industry worldwide.

SAB produces the more adaptable polyclonal treatments, not monoclonal.

“Polyclonal antibodies have lagged behind because up until now there was no way to produce fully human fully polyclonal antibodies outside of human donors. SAB’s technology represents the only technology in the world that can do that at this time,” said Sullivan.

On Monday, SAB Biotherapeutics Inc. began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbols “SABS” and “SABSW”. Professor Thomas Geu of the USD School of Law says one of the biggest reasons for a company to go public is the ability to raise capital to expand.

“Going public requires both reputation, product, and track record you’ve got to be all three of those in order to successfully invite any kind of additional investment,” said Geu.

Sullivan tells us the COVID-19 treatment currently in FDA trials isn’t the only product they are working on. They also have potential treatments for the flu, diabetes, and some forms of cancer in the pipeline. SAB Biotherapeutics was previously known as Hematech.