Forbes - Another restricted antibody treatment

Plus: The global economic disruption of China’s Covid outbreak

Last week, the FDA restricted the use of sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody co-developed by Vir Biotechnology and GSK, in 20 more states and territories. That’s in addition to the 10 states and territories its use was restricted in the week before. The reason for the restriction? Because in these areas, the omicron sub-variant BA.2 has become the dominant variant in those regions. While sotrovimab has demonstrated efficacy against BA.1, the original omicron variant, it’s now becoming one of several monoclonal antibodies that were effective treatments for Covid until a new variant popped up. That said, it will continue to be available in parts of the country where BA.2 is not yet the dominant variant. 

This now leaves bebtelovimab, co-developed by AbCellera and Lilly, as the only monoclonal antibody authorized for treatment of Covid in all parts of the United States. (Though AstraZeneca’s Evusheld is still authorized as a preventative for those immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable to the disease.) However, so far Pfizer’s antiviral Paxlovid and Merck/Ridgeback Therapeutics’ antiviral Lagevrio are both still showing efficacy against the new subvariant. 

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What Else We Are Reading

• African clinical trial denied access to key COVID drug Paxlovid (Nature)

• What We Know About Omicron’s BA.2 Variant So Far (Scientific American)

• Seriously, Why Not Get a Fourth Shot? (The Atlantic)