The first Covid-19 treatment drug from AstraZeneca is effective in preventing severe complications in individuals infected with Covid-19.
Current Covid-19 treatments are developed in the form of direct antibody injections into the patient’s body.
This is AstraZeneca’s first Covid-19 treatment drug, demonstrating effectiveness in clinical trials, according to the Financial Times.
AZD7442 is suitable for those who need more protection.
AstraZeneca announced on August 20 that AZD7442 was created by combining two types of antibodies, showing a 77% effectiveness in preventing symptomatic manifestations in infected individuals.
No severe cases were recorded among the volunteers using AZD7442. AstraZeneca tested the Covid-19 treatment on 5,197 volunteers, more than three-quarters of whom had underlying health conditions.
Among the clinical trial volunteers, some had underlying conditions that reduced the vaccine’s response efficacy. The trial results indicate that AZD7442 is suitable for those who need more protection, including adults who respond poorly or cannot tolerate vaccines.
AZD7442 has the potential to provide protective effects for patients for one year, administered via injection.
Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s Executive Vice President of Research and Development, stated that the company is “very excited” about the new research results. Clinical trials also showed that the company’s Covid-19 treatment is effective against the Delta variant.
AstraZeneca has not disclosed the optimal timing for administering AZD7442 after exposure to Covid-19 for maximum effectiveness. The company has reached an agreement to supply 700,000 doses of AZD7442 to the United States for treating Covid-19 patients.
Covid-19 treatments are very expensive, and the high production costs mean they are only considered effective if the results are significant.
