AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail found to be effective in trial
Company says study shows no-one who received the cocktail contracted severe Covid-19 or died in relation to the disease
20 August 2021 - 10:05
bySuzi Ring
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Vials labelled "Astra Zeneca Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo, in this illustration photo. Picture: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 antibody cocktail was found to be 77% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in high-risk people in a key trial that could expand the range of drugs available to vulnerable groups.
Results from AstraZeneca’s study found no-one in the trial who received the cocktail contracted severe Covid-19 or died in relation to the disease, the company said in a statement on Friday. The trial of 5,197 participants, which started in November, was looking at whether the drug could prevent infection in at-risk groups and took place in the US, UK, Belgium, France and Spain.
The outcome will be a big relief for the company after another study testing whether the cocktail could prevent symptomatic Covid-19 in people explicitly exposed to the virus failed in June. The findings may also salvage a deal with the US to purchase the drug. The US had ordered as many as 700,000 doses for delivery in 2021, the value of which was partly contingent on the failed trial.
AstraZeneca said in June it was in “ongoing” discussions with the US government and awaiting results of this latest study — named Provent — before deciding how to proceed.
“We need additional approaches for individuals who are not adequately protected by Covid-19 vaccines,” Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president of biopharmaceuticals research & development, said in a statement. “We are very encouraged by these efficacy and safety data in high-risk people.”
Antibody drugs are viewed as a way to potentially protect people, such as cancer patients, who may not respond as well to vaccination, but the products are cumbersome to administer and scale-up is limited. Trials for both prevention and treatment options against Covid-19 have seen mixed success. GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology received US emergency-use authorisation for their product in May after it showed it could keep at-risk patients from worsening, though an earlier trial for hospitalised patients failed.
Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail found to be effective in trial
Company says study shows no-one who received the cocktail contracted severe Covid-19 or died in relation to the disease
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 antibody cocktail was found to be 77% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in high-risk people in a key trial that could expand the range of drugs available to vulnerable groups.
Results from AstraZeneca’s study found no-one in the trial who received the cocktail contracted severe Covid-19 or died in relation to the disease, the company said in a statement on Friday. The trial of 5,197 participants, which started in November, was looking at whether the drug could prevent infection in at-risk groups and took place in the US, UK, Belgium, France and Spain.
The outcome will be a big relief for the company after another study testing whether the cocktail could prevent symptomatic Covid-19 in people explicitly exposed to the virus failed in June. The findings may also salvage a deal with the US to purchase the drug. The US had ordered as many as 700,000 doses for delivery in 2021, the value of which was partly contingent on the failed trial.
AstraZeneca said in June it was in “ongoing” discussions with the US government and awaiting results of this latest study — named Provent — before deciding how to proceed.
“We need additional approaches for individuals who are not adequately protected by Covid-19 vaccines,” Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president of biopharmaceuticals research & development, said in a statement. “We are very encouraged by these efficacy and safety data in high-risk people.”
Antibody drugs are viewed as a way to potentially protect people, such as cancer patients, who may not respond as well to vaccination, but the products are cumbersome to administer and scale-up is limited. Trials for both prevention and treatment options against Covid-19 have seen mixed success. GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology received US emergency-use authorisation for their product in May after it showed it could keep at-risk patients from worsening, though an earlier trial for hospitalised patients failed.
Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Biovac's R2bn plan for vaccine production and export
CHRIS GILMOUR: Boris Johnson gambles by lifting the last Covid restrictions
This is how to overcome Covid-19 vaccine bottlenecks
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Covid-19 vaccines found to be less effective against Delta variant
DEON GOUWS: Losing friends over the vaccine
Kenya gets tough on vaccines for public servants
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.