Covid: China grants emergency approval for its first Monoclonal antibody drug
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The therapy has been co-developed by Tsinghua University, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Brii Biosciences
In what comes as China's first specialised treatment against Covid-19, the government has approved its Covid drug. An official note on Wednesday read China's National Medical Products Administration said it has granted "emergency approval" for monoclonal antibody treatment.
The monoclonal antibodies are proteins that have been designed to attach a specific target. In the case of Covid, the target will be the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is used by the virus to enter human cells.
The therapy has been co-developed by Tsinghua University, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Brii Biosciences.
According to a statement issued by Tsinghua University, the trials showed that the therapy could reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by around 80 per cent.
As per the drug authority, this treatment involves a combination of two drugs, which are administered through injections. Also, they can be used to treat certain cases that can get severe.
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorisation for AstraZeneca's Evusheld to prevent people from the deadly coronavirus. Evusheld comprises two types of synthetic antibodies - tixagevimab and cilgavimab. It is given as two intramuscular injections.
"The product is only authorised for those individuals who are not currently infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and who have not recently been exposed to an individual infected with SARS-CoV-2," read the statement issued by FDA. This is the first time that the FDA has given emergency authorisation for purely preventative treatment.
(With inputs from agencies)