Approval For A new Drug Called “Evusheld” That Stops You From Getting COVID-19

People who take Evusheld, a drug made by British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, to avoid COVID-19, can now buy it in the European Union. The workable treatment is with two injections.

Those over the age of 12 can take the treatment. They receive it in two injections. During the clinical test of the drug, we saw, it cut the risk of getting COVID-19 symptoms by 77%, the company said in a statement.

People with a weak immune response to present several covid vaccines can use Evusheld. This works as an alternative vaccine for them.  There are some people with severe illnesses who can also use this drug instead of another vaccine.

Phase  3 of Evusheld

 

People who took Evusheld saw their risk of getting COVID-19 symptoms to drop by 83% compared to people who took a placebo. The drug is generally is a combination of two injections. It includes 150mg of tixagevimab and 150mg of cilgavimab. These are given in two separate doses six months into the Phase 3 study.

 

Also, the company said that this new drug specifically targeted and neutralized antibodies from Omicron.  The company found its subsequent BA.2 variant.

“Christoph D. Spinner says that.”

 

A pandemic officer at University Hospital Rechts der Isar said that “the approval of Evusheld for a wide range of people will help health authorities in the EU to find the groups that are most at risk and need extra protection from the virus.”

 

Confusion Overseas

 

The Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of Evusheld on Feb. 2, 2022. Uk got the conditional marketing permission and we will see it selling there.

People generally agree that this new drug can protect them from COVID-19. However, the New York Times says that around 80% of the dose of this available new drug is still sitting in warehouses, pharmacies, and hospitals unused.

Some people generally in the US don’t know about the drug or where to get it. Because the drug has a complicated relationship with other antibody therapies, some doctors and providers don’t know how to give the drug.

 

The New York Times

“The biggest problem is that there isn’t any guidance or prioritization or any rollout in place at all. It’s been a mess.” Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon, and epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health said in the Times.

There were however 1.7 million doses of Evusheld  Biden administration brought in January. That’s enough to fully treat 850,000 people. The administration also made 650,000 doses ready for the states to get. But the state only ordered 370,000 of the 1.7 million doses. Subsequently, usage is less than a quarter of those doses.

A CNN investigation

An investigation however by CNN found that 59 pharmacies had sold Evusheld. Only 1,376 boxes were used out of the 5,372 boxes.

Consequently, to avoid the poor uptake of this new drug in the U.S., it needs to spread out more smoothly in the EU. The executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca said, “We will keep working with governments across Europe to get this drug on the market as soon as possible.”

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