The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended authorizations for previously authorized antibody treatments on the grounds that they are ineffective against the Omicron variant. According to the information shared today, an emergency use authorization has been granted for the monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab.
Bebtelovimab was developed by the team in collaboration with biotech company AbCellera and Eli Lilly who found the first commercially available antibody for the coronavirus.
Bebtelovimab antibody has proven itself for the Omicron variant
Making a statement on the subject, Abellera CEO Carl Hansen said, “We started working on the development of a new monoclonal therapy in the first months of 2021. To avoid future variants, we will develop an antibody that binds only to specific sites in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that we think are rarely mutated. We’re making an effort to discover a next-generation antibody.” used the phrases.
Hansen highlighted that the developed antibody is effective in all known worrying variants. Bebtelovimab, the only antibody also effective for the Omicron variant, has achieved emergency use authorization with some limitations.
The developed antibody therapy will be applied to people who experience mild to moderate symptoms in the early stages of coronavirus. There is also a limit of 12 years and over for antibody treatment.
Authorities have announced that bebtelovimab will not be used in people who have already been hospitalized for coronavirus. It can be used for patients who are inaccessible to other coronavirus treatment options approved or authorized by the FDA.
Omicron variant with multiple iterations. Sotrovimab, which is effective against the first iteration, BA.1, is unfortunately not effective against the other Omicron variant, BA.2. Scientists stated that if Sotrovimab treatment does not meet expectations, the health sector will limit the methods used against coronavirus.
US Department of Health and Human Services, “If the BA.2 subvariant continues to increase in the US, we will use this potential therapy as a monoclonal antibody therapy that works against this strain of the virus.” said.