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The government of Joe Biden announced on Thursday that it has purchased enough of a monoclonal antibody drug that is still pending approval for its use, which will allow it to treat 600,000 patients with COVID-19 and that is among the medical treatments that may be effective in cases of Covid caused by the Omicron variant , Administration officials said Thursday.
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s new monoclonal antibody will be shipped to states free of charge, if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the request of the company’s emergency use authorization, informed Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). “We are going to try to be there to meet the demand,” he added.
The government measure is produced after the two main monoclonal antibody treatments used in the US proved ineffective against the Omicron variant, which now accounts for nearly all cases of COVID-19 in the country.
The data indicates that the Lilly’s drug works against Omicron, including the new BA.2 mutation. Lilly said the contract for its new drug, called Bebtelovimab, is worth at least $720 million dollars.
“Our top priority is keeping people from getting sick in the first place, so it’s critical that Americans continue to get vaccinated and booster shots as soon as possible. as soon as they are eligible”, said Becerra, announcing the purchase of the drug.
Monoclonal antibodies manufactured in the laboratory replace the immune system of the human body acting to block an invading virus. Given intravenously or by injection, the drugs are intended to be given in the early stages of an infection to prevent serious illness and death.
The goal of this therapy is to help prevent hospitalizations, reduce viral load, and reduce severity of symptoms.
Scientists say COVID treatments-19 with monoclonal antibodies are not a substitute for vaccination . They are usually reserved for the most vulnerable people, including the elderly, transplant recipients, and people with conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Lilly is seeking FDA clearance for its antibody drug to be used to treat COVID-04 mild to moderate in high-risk patients.
Under the government contract with Lilly, HHS would receive about 300,000 treatment courses of the new antibody drug in February and others 300,000 more in March. The drugs would be ready to ship nationwide after FDA clearance.
The HHS said early data indicates that Lilly’s new drug works against both Omicron and its BA.2 mutation, which represents a proportion still small but rapidly growing cases in the US If BA.2 continues to rise, the new antibody drug could offer a viable treatment option and opportunity to treat patients.
“It is constant to get ahead of this virus,” Becerra acknowledged.
The manufacturer of these drugs said in a press release that the government has the option to buy others 500,000 dose no later than 31 of July. A spokeswoman said the company cannot speculate on when FDA clearance might come.
Although cases of COVID-19 and new hospitalizations are declining as Omicron regresses, more than 100,000 patients are hospitalized. Covid deaths have also continued to rise, averaging 2,400 per day.
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