AstraZeneca drug cocktail passes late-stage study in Covid-19 treatment

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An AstraZeneca experimental drug for Covid-19 antibody treatment has passed a late-stage study.

The pharmaceutical giant revealed on Monday, that the drug called AZD7442 has succeeded in reducing severe disease or death in non-hospitalized patients.

Mene Pangalos, the executive vice president, biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said, “an early intervention with our antibody can give a significant reduction in progression to severe disease, with continued protection for more than six months.”

He added that the British drug manufacturer will discuss all available data with health authorities.

The drug has met the main goal of the trial, as it has proven to reduce the risk of developing severe Covid-19 or death by 50%, in patients who had been symptomatic for seven days or less, CNBC reports.

AZD7442 is also being developed to serve as a therapy to protect people who do not have a strong immune response to Covid-19 vaccines.

In a statement, Hugh Montgomery, the trial Principal investigator, said that “These positive results show that a convenient intramuscular dose of AZD7442 could play an important role in helping combat this devastating pandemic”.

Also last week, AstraZeneca requested emergency approval of its drug cocktail from United States regulators for its use in prevention.

Merck antiviral drug had also shown similar results as AZD7442.

The results of both trials have been described as a landmark breakthrough, considering the global impact Covid -19 has had, sending economies crashing and killing millions of people.

Following multiple trials, AstraZeneca’s drug is the first to show positive potential as preventative medicine and as a treatment for Covid-19.

It has been approved for emergency use in the United States for treating mild-to-moderate forms of Covid-19.

 

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Author: abokimallamfx