UK approves GSK’s Covid antibody drug that slashes risk of death and hospitalisation
UK approves GSK’s Covid antibody drug that slashes risk of death and hospitalisation by nearly 80% — but it might be weaker against Omicron super-strain
Sotrovimab, sold as Xevudy, has been approved by UK medical regulatorsBut there are fears that it may be weaker against the Omicron variantTreatment will be available for those with mild to moderate Covid
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Britain’s medical regulator has approved a Covid antibody drug for use in patients.
Sotrovimab, sold under the brand name Xevudy, cuts hospitalisations by 79 per cent among those at risk from the virus.
But there are fears it may be weaker against Omicron which differs from the original Wuhan virus.
The monoclonal antibody, made by GlaxoSmithKline, was authorised for use by Britain’s medical regulator for people with mild and moderate Covid who are at risk of developing severe disease.
It comes as GSK and Vir Biotechnology said preclinical data shows the drug ‘retains activity against key mutations of the new Omicron Sars-CoV-2 variant’.
The UK Government has ordered around 100,000 doses of the drug.
GlaxoSmithKline’s Vir-7831 monoclonal antibody drug cuts the risk of Covid patients dying or being admitted to hospital by up to 85 per cent, trial results have found
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-produced molecules that mimic human antibodies — disease-fighting proteins made by the immune system
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulator Agency (MHRA) said Sotrovimab was found to be ‘safe and effective’ at reducing the risk of hospital admission.
The drug works by binding to the Covid spike protein — which it uses to invade cells — stopping the virus from infecting cells.
Sotrovimab has been authorised for use in people who have mild to moderate Covid infection and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness, such risk as being over 60, obesity, diabetes mellitus or heart disease.
It is approved for individuals aged 12 and above who weigh more than 40kg.
Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said: ‘I am pleased to say that we now have another safe and effective Covid-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), for those at risk of developing severe illness.
‘This is yet another therapeutic that has been shown to be effective at protecting those most vulnerable to Covid-19 and signals another significant step forward in our fight against this devastating disease.
‘With no compromises on quality, safety and effectiveness, the public can trust that the MHRA have conducted a robust and thorough assessment of all the available data.’
