Till Friday, only one COVID-19 antibody drug has been efficient in opposition to the Omicron variant – sotrovimab from Vir Biotechnology and GSK – and that drug is unlikely to do as properly in opposition to not less than one new model of the variant spreading globally, new analysis suggests.
An antibody drug accredited on Friday by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration does present promise when examined in opposition to “sublineages,” or subvariants, of Omicron, the analysis discovered.
The World Well being Group is monitoring a number of Omicron subvariants.
Information posted on Wednesday on bioRxiv forward of peer evaluation confirmed that the quickly spreading BA.2 subvariant “exhibited marked resistance” to sotrovimab in lab experiments, researchers stated.
Britain-based GSK introduced on Thursday, with out formally releasing any information, that its drug does retain the power to neutralize BA.2 in a take a look at tube.
David Ho of Columbia College, senior writer of the bioRxiv report, stated his analysis “additionally confirmed that sotrovimab nonetheless has exercise in opposition to BA.2, per their assertion.
However its exercise is down considerably, 27-fold as said in our preprint.” In repeat experiments, the drop was much more pronounced, he stated of testing achieved after the paper was submitted.
The drug accredited on Friday – bebtelovimab, from Eli Lilly, remained potent in neutralizing all Omicron subvariants, Ho’s group stated.
Two antibody medicine from AstraZeneca – cilgavimab and tixagevimab – did stay efficient in opposition to BA.2, however they’re solely accredited for stopping COVID-19 in sure circumstances, not for treating it.