Contact Us

U.S. FDA authorizes AstraZeneca's COVID-19 antibody drug

"Vaccines have proven to be the best defense available against COVID-19," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Reuters WORLD
Published December 08,2021
Subscribe

The U.S. drugs regulator said on Wednesday it had authorized AstraZeneca's antibody cocktail to prevent COVID-19 infections in individuals who have weak immune systems or a history of severe side effects from coronavirus vaccines.

While vaccines rely on an intact immune system to develop targeted antibodies and infection-fighting cells, AstraZeneca's therapy Evusheld contains lab-made antibodies designed to linger in the body for months to contain the virus in case of an infection.

"Vaccines have proven to be the best defense available against COVID-19," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Pre-exposure prevention with Evusheld is not a substitute for vaccination in individuals for whom COVID-19 vaccination is recommended, the FDA said.