AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a monoclonal antibody drug for the prevention (pre-exposure prophylaxis) of Covid-19, holds neutralising activity against the Omicron variant, according to new pre-clinical data.
Evusheld is a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies, tixagevimab and cilgavimab, co-packaged and given as two separate consecutive intramuscular injections.
The pre-clinical study was performed independently by investigators at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
"The early data, generated by pseudovirus testing of the full Omicron variant spike against the combination of tixagevimab with cilgavimab, the antibodies that comprise Evusheld, add to the growing body of preclinical evidence demonstrating that Evusheld retains activity against all tested variants of concern to date,” reads a statement from AstraZeneca.
Earlier this month, Evusheld received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the US for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of Covid-19 in people with moderate to severe immune compromise due to a medical condition or immunosuppressive medications and who may not mount an adequate immune response to Covid-19 vaccination, as well as those individuals for whom Covid-19 vaccination is not recommended.
Mene Pangalos, the Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said:
"By combining two potent antibodies with different and complementary activities against the virus, Evusheld was designed to evade potential resistance with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.”
"We are working with regulators on applications for the use of Evusheld in treating Covid-19,” he added.
AstraZeneca’s statement added that additional analyses to evaluate Evusheld against the Omicron variant are being conducted by the company and third-party laboratories, with data anticipated very soon.
"About 2 per cent of the global population is considered at increased risk of an inadequate response to a Covid-19 vaccine. Emerging evidence indicates that protecting vulnerable populations from getting Covid-19 could help prevent viral evolution that is an important factor in the emergence of variants,” reads AstraZeneca’s statement.
The first doses of Evusheld are expected to become available within days.