The European Medicines Authority (EMA) has cleared the way for the approval of two more drugs for the treatment of Covid-19.
Xevudy and Kineret are recommended for use, the EMA announced in Amsterdam on Thursday. The EU Commission still has to give the final go-ahead, but this is considered a formality.
This would bring to five the number of medicines approved for use in the EU for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Xevudy from the manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology can prevent symptoms from worsening in patients 12 years and older, according to experts.
Laboratory studies suggest that Xevudy is also effective against the Omicron variant.
The EMA experts had previously given a positive opinion on the drug, and it is already being prescribed for use in some EU member states.
Kineret from the Swedish manufacturer Orphan Biovitrum AB is already approved in the EU as a treatment for other inflammatory conditions.
According to the EMA, the drug can reduce inflammation and prevent severe damage to airways in Covid-19 patients also.
The EU's health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, welcomed the EMA's recommendations.
