AstraZeneca’s Antibody Treatment Shows Promise in Preventing Symptomatic Covid-19

In a press release, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca announces that it has obtained encouraging results for a treatment against Covid-19, which significantly reduces the risk of developing a symptomatic form of the disease in vulnerable patients, reports the AFP. The code name for this antibody treatment is AZD7442. Administered intramuscularly before contact with Covid-19, this treatment reduces the risk of developing a symptomatic form of the virus by 77%, according to phase 3 data (large-scale clinical trials designed to measure its safety and efficacy).

Furthermore, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group states that there were no severe cases of Covid-19 or deaths. These trials were conducted with 5,197 participants in Spain, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States. In total, 75% of them had comorbidities. However, this treatment had not previously shown its effectiveness on people already exposed to the virus.

Buoyed by the results obtained, the laboratory intends to file an application with the health authorities to obtain emergency use or conditional approval of the treatment, the development of which is funded by the US government. "With these fantastic results, AZD7442 could be an important tool in our arsenal to help people who may need more than a vaccine to get back to normal lives," says Myron Levin, professor at the University of Colorado in the United States and in charge of the trial.