GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today said that a lab analysis of the antibody-based COVID-19 therapy it is developing with the US partner Vir has shown the drug is effective against the new Omicron variant.
In a statement, the British drugmaker said that lab tests and a study on hamsters have demonstrated the Strovimab antibody cocktail to work against viruses that were bio-engineered to carry a number of hallmark mutations of the Omicron variant.
The tests are ongoing to confirm the results against all of the Omicron mutations with an update expected by year-end, it added.
Separately, Britain’s drug regulator today approved Sotrovimab, also known under the brand name Xevudy, for people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommended the use of Xevudy as soon as possible and within five days of the onset of symptoms.