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.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 11:27 | 08 December 2021
- Modified Date: 01:25 | 09 December 2021
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.