AstraZeneca gained a victory on Friday, as data showed that its antibody cocktail is 77% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in high-risk populations.
The investigation found no person taking the AstraZeneca combination, called AZD7442, who developed severe COVID-19 or who died from the virus. In comparison, three participants who received the placebo suffered serious illness, with two fatalities.
AstraZencea called the treatment, with the antibodies ixagevimab and cilgavimab, the first “combination of long-acting antibodies to prevent COVID-19” in a statement.
Overall, 25 positive coronavirus infections were confirmed in the Provent study with more than 5,100 patients in different locations in the US, UK, Belgium, France and Spain. Participants were not vaccinated at that time and had a negative test.
The study is expected to be sent to a peer-reviewed medical journal to be published, as well as to regulators for emergency use authorization or conditional approval.
Drug manufacturers have been testing different antibody treatments against COVID-19 to provide a way to help fight the virus to those who may not have adequate protection against the vaccine, including cancer patients.
“With these exciting results, AZD7442 could be an important tool in our arsenal to help people who need more than one vaccine return to their normal lives,” Myron Levin, the study’s lead researcher, said in a statement. .
The results followed a less successful trial: AstraZeneca announced in June that AZD7442 did not prevent symptomatic COVID-19 in newly exposed individuals. This study determined that people with antibody cocktails had a 33% lower risk of developing symptoms.
But treatment reduced the risk of symptoms by 73% among those who tested negative for COVID-19 at the start of the trial.
The United States has ordered 700,000 doses of AZD7442 in a deal that was potentially at risk due to the results of the June study.
Mene Pangalos, head of AstraZeneca’s biopharmaceutical research, told Bloomberg News that the United States remains interested in receiving antibody treatment “according to the conversations we’ve had.”