A new monoclonal antibody drug against Covid-19 has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The newly authorized drug was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir IANS news agency reported.
The new drug reduces hospitalization and death among Covid-19 patients by 85 percent and it works against most of the coronavirus variants, the report said.
However, the drug is suited most for treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults and children 12 years of age and older. The drug, named Sotrovimab, has been given emergency use authorization.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
"With the authorisation of this monoclonal antibody treatment, we are providing another option to help keep high-risk patients with Covid-19 out of the hospital," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, the Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
"It is important to expand the arsenal of monoclonal antibody therapies that are expected to retain activity against the circulating variants of Covid-19 in the United States," she added, the agency said.
The report said the drug has given good results in patients who are 65 or older. This is seen helping people who have certain complicated medical history as well.
As per laboratory test results, Sotrovimab can neutralize the variants of Covid-19 that are in circulation now. such as the UK, South Africa, Brazil, California, New York and India variants.
This treatment protocol, however, is not suitable for patients hospitalized due to Covid-19 or require oxygen therapy, according to the FDA. The agency warned that the treatment can result in adverse outcomes in when it is administered to hospitalized patients requiring high flow oxygen.
The Indian Drug
Reports earlier this month said the Indian authorities approved a Covid-19 drug known as 2-deoxy-D-glucose or 2-DG. The drug for treating Covid-19 symptoms was developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and pharma company Dr Reddy's.
The groundbreaking new drug will be first used in hospitals across the capital New Delhi. The Indian media reported on Saturday that as many as 10,000 doses of the drug has already been distributed.
2-deoxy-D-glucose is a modified glucose molecule which has therapeutic value as an anticancer and antiviral agent. The drug basically uses pseudo glucose molecule to stop the virus from multiplying inside the human body.
The drug comes in powder form and can be taken orally by dissolving it in water. Research across the world has suggested 2-DG as a possible drug to treat the symptoms of Covid-19, which has no treatment so far.
