After molnupiravir, the United Kingdom completes their Covid arsenal with a new therapy… The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced this Thursday December 2 they have approved the use of Sotrovimab, a therapy developed by UK laboratory GlaksoSmithKline (GSK) based on monoclonal antibodies. The medicine has been developed in partnership with Californian laboratory Vir Biotechnology and is said to be effective against the Omicron variant spreading over Europe.
After assessing the clinical trial data, the UK regulator said in a release that Sotrovimab “was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease”. Using a single dose, the therapy enables to “reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by 79% in high-risk adults with symptomatic COVID-19 infection”, the UK medicines agency adds.
As for GSK, they say – according to data from their clinical trial – that Sotrovimab “retains activity against key mutations of the new Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant” as well as “against all tested variants of concern and interest defined by the World Health Organization”. Note the European Union announced this past June they have signed a “joint procurement agreement” with the UK laboratory, placing an order of 220,000 therapies. Yet, the therapy still has to be approved by the European Medicines Agency currently under rolling review.
