Sotrovimab wins EU marketing Authorization as an early COVID-19 therapy 

GlaxoSmithKline (LSE/NYSE:GSK) and its partner Vir Biotechnology (NSDQ:VIR) have received marketing authorization from the European Commission for the dual-action monoclonal antibody Xevudy (sotrovimab).

The marketing authorization covers individuals 12 and older who weigh at least 40 kg who do not need supplemental oxygen. It also requires that such individuals have a heightened risk of developing severe COVID-19.

This summer, GSK and VIR had reached a joint procurement agreement with the EC involving 220,000 doses of the drug.

“With today’s marketing authorization we are now able to expand access, and we are discussing with governments how we can bring sotrovimab to more patients,” said Dr. Hal Barron, chief scientific officer and president R&D of GSK, in a statement.

The two companies also have revealed that preclinical data suggest that sotrovimab retains activity against the Omicron variant, which threatens to become the dominant form of …

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Early data suggest COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies offer less protection against Omicron variant

SARS-CoV-2 image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The antibody cocktails from Regeneron (NSDQ:REGN) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) may provide less protection against the Omicron COVID-19 variant than earlier circulating variants.

Independent researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle) concluded that bamlanivimab and etesevimab had a decrease in protection against Omicron, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Omicron could be more resistant to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than “all the other major variants,” surmised Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in an interview with Science.

Regeneron released a statement with similar conclusions about its REGEN-COV treatment. While noting that there are “no direct data” pertaining to Omicron’s resistance to monoclonal antibodies or vaccine-induced antibodies, Regeneron stated that earlier in vitro studies an…

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