AstraZeneca has reported that a combination of long-acting antibodies given intramuscularly as COVID-19 prophylaxis significantly reduced the chance of acquiring symptomatic illness in a high-risk unvaccinated patient group. There were no safety concerns since the therapy was well-tolerated and adverse events were evenly distributed across the groups.

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Details of the study

AstraZeneca stated that in the intervention group, there were no instances of severe COVID-19 or COVID-19-related fatalities, compared to three cases of severe COVID-19 and two deaths in the placebo group. According to the manufacturer, there were no safety concerns since the therapy was well-tolerated and adverse events were evenly distributed across the groups.

According to a release,

75% of the study group had comorbidities, including diabetics "being at risk of an insufficient response to active (immunisation)", older people, and those with immunosuppressive illness or those using immunosuppressive medication.

Myron Levin, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the trial's lead investigator noted that:

"With these promising findings, AZD7442 may be a valuable weapon in our armoury for assisting individuals who may need more than vaccination to return to their regular life."

AZD7442 was generated from convalescent patients' B cells. PROVENT was a phase III randomised study performed at 87 locations across the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Belgium. Adults who "might benefit from prevention" with the long-acting antibody were enrolled. They were unvaccinated at the time of enrolment and tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 through serology.

In all, 5,197 patients were randomly assigned to receive either a single 300 mg dosage of AZD7442 or a placebo. According to AstraZeneca:

1. 43% of participants were aged 60 or older
2. Diabetes, severe obesity or heart illness, COPD, chronic renal disease, and chronic liver disease were all comorbidities
3. Around 73% of the population was white

Conclusion

The company intends to submit the whole findings for peer review, while clinical studies of the antibody for both treatment and prevention continue.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

The author is a practising super specialist from New Delhi.