AZD7442, a medication developed by AstraZeneca Covid from a fusion of multiple antibodies, is now conducting final stage clinical studies to determine its safety and effectiveness.
AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical giant, revealed Thursday that medical studies of an antibody-based COVID-19 medication had shown significant effectiveness and long-term prevention.
The Anglo-Swedish laboratory joins the ranks of US pharmaceutical companies Merck and Pfizer, who declared in October and early November, respectively, that they had found medications capable of preventing severe versions of the illness and may be administered at the first indication of symptoms.
AstraZeneca’s medication AZD7442, which is a mixture of two antibodies, is now in the last stages of clinical studies to determine its safety and effectiveness.
A six-month follow-up study “confirmed the combination’s substantial-effectiveness with a single intramuscular (IM) dosage,” the company stated in a statement.
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It noted that a single 300mg IM dosage significantly decreased the likelihood of acquiring symptomatic COVID-19 by 83 percent when compared to a placebo.
Over 75% of respondents had co-morbidities that placed them at a high risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection if they were infected, however, no severe cases were reported.
Another research evaluating its effectiveness in treating patients already experiencing “mild to moderate” Covid complaints showed that a single 600mg IM dosage significantly lowered the probability of developing severe harm or injury by 88 percent.
“These compelling results instill confidence in me that this long-acting antibody combination will provide my most vulnerable patients with the long-lasting protection they require to return to their daily lives,” said Hugh Montgomery, professor of intensive care medicine at University College London.
“Most importantly, six months of coverage was maintained despite the Delta variant’s spike in prevalence among these high-risk subjects who may not react properly to immunization.”
AstraZeneca said that the entire findings of both studies will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal article for publication.
It has already filed a request for approval of the medicine to treat Covid to US authorities.
AstraZeneca’s distinct Covid vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, aided in the rapid rollout of the Covid vaccine in the United Kingdom after its approval in December 2020.
