The U.S. health authorities announced on Friday that they have granted emergency use autorization for a new treatment against Covid-19, bebtelovimab monoclonal antibodies, that has proved effective against the Omicrom variant.
This treatment remains active, including against the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant, the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
Produced by the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical group, it can be administered to persons aged 12 years and above who run a high risk of severe illness if infected with the Coronavirus.
During clinical trials, some subjects suffered from side effects such as itching, nausea and vomiting.
In mid-January, the FDA had withdrawn emergency use authorization from two treatments, Regenron’s monoclonal antibodies, Casirivimab and Imdevimab, and Eli Lilly’s Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab, after they proved ineffective against Omicron.
Monoclonal antibodies, also known as mabs, are laboratory-made proteins that imitate natural proteins, called antibodies, that are part of the body's immune system.
Generally administered intravenously, mabs attach themselves to the protein spike on the surface of a virus - its key to entering the victim’s body – in order to destroy it.
