WHO ‘strongly advises against’ use of two COVID treatments

By Natalie Grover

LONDON (Reuters) – Two COVID-19 antibody therapies are now not advisable by the World Well being Group (WHO), on the premise that Omicron and the variant’s newest offshoots have probably rendered them out of date.

The 2 therapies – that are designed to work by binding to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to neutralise the virus’ capability to contaminate cells – have been among the first medicines developed early within the pandemic.

The virus has since developed, and mounting proof from lab checks suggests the 2 therapies – sotrovimab in addition to casirivimab-imdevimab – have restricted medical exercise in opposition to the newest iterations of the virus. In consequence, they’ve additionally fallen out of favour with the U.S. well being regulator.

On Thursday, WHO specialists stated they strongly suggested in opposition to the usage of the 2 therapies in sufferers with COVID-19, reversing earlier conditional suggestions endorsing them, as a part of a collection of suggestions revealed https://www.bmj.com/content material/370/bmj.m3379 within the British Medical Journal.

GSK and accomplice Vir Biotechnology’s sotrovimab – which has generated billions in gross sales and have become one of many British drugmaker’s high sellers final 12 months – was pulled off the U.S. market by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in April.

Given the US had begun to query sotrovimab’s medical effectiveness in opposition to Omicron as early as February, the WHO’s realisation is coming slightly late, stated Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medication at King’s School London.

“Now WHO has issued this suggestion, it is going to be fascinating to see what number of different international locations align with it,” she stated.

Regeneron and accomplice Roche’s antibody cocktail casirivimab-imdevimab has additionally generated billions in gross sales and was one of many U.S. drugmaker’s high sellers final 12 months.

Again in January, the FDA revised its stance on the remedy, limiting its use to a smaller group of sufferers, citing its diminished efficiency in opposition to the Omicron variant.

Each therapies proceed to be advisable to be used by the European medication regulator.

One other COVID remedy that emerged early in pandemic was Gilead’s antiviral remdesivir. The WHO expanded its conditional suggestion for the drug, advising that it may be utilized in sufferers with extreme COVID in addition to non-severe COVID sufferers on the highest threat of hospitalization.

There are a handful of present COVID therapeutics that stay helpful within the battle in opposition to the virus, and others in growth which might be anticipated to additionally profit sufferers.

(This story Corrects to elucidate WHO has expanded conditional use of remdesivir to incorporate extreme COVID sufferers in paragraph 11)

(Reporting by Natalie Grover in London; Modifying by Elaine Hardcastle)