NEW DELHI: Pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca on Friday said that a pre-clinical study has concluded that its antibody combination Evusheld retained neutralising activity against the Omicron variant.
The company is in the process of applying in India for the regulatory approval of the drug.
Importantly, the latest study was done independently by researchers at the US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and the work was supported by US government research funds.
Evusheld (Tixagevimab along with Cilgavimab), a long-acting antibody combination for the prevention of Covid, recently became the first drug to receive emergency use authorisation in the US as a prophylaxis treatment for coronavirus infections.
It was specifically indicated for cancer and immune-suppressed patients.
Sharing comments on the latest findings, its executive vice-president Mene Pangalos said that by combining two potent antibodies with different and complementary activities against the virus, Evusheld was designed to evade potential resistance with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Evusheld has also received authorisations in other countries, the pharma major said, adding that it is now working with regulators on applications for the use of Evusheld in treating Covid.
As Omicron was not in circulation during the Evusheld clinical trials, the firm is continuing to collect data to better understand the implications of this observation in clinical practice.
“Additional analyses to evaluate Evusheld against the Omicron variant are being conducted by AstraZeneca and third-party laboratories, with data anticipated very soon,” it said.