GSK and Vir announced on Wednesday that sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of Covid-19 that the two companies developed together, has been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U. S. FDA. Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made antibodies engineered against the Covid-19 virus that, though IV infusion, can boost the natural immune response and help fight off infection. The treatment can significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths from the virus, but there are two big hurdles: it takes a long time to administer, and it seems to not be as effective against Covid-19 variants.  Bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody by Lilly, was granted an EUA in November 2020. Last month, however, the FDA revoked the approval for using the drug alone, citing a lack of efficacy against quickly spreading variants. Bamlanivimab is still used to treat Covid-19 in combination with another monoclonal antibody, and Lilly also has another monoclonal antibody in development. The GSK/Vir monoclonal antibody’s success against variants could give it a leg up among its competition, and it is the only non-combination antibody currently authorized for use against Covid-19.“I think it’s a really important step for patients,” says George Scangos, CEO of San Francisco-based Vir. “This is an antibody that’s given in a lower dose than other antibodies, it is very efficacious, [and] we have laboratory data now that it retains activity against all of the circulating variants of concern.”GSK and Vir have a solution for getting over monoclonal antibodies’ second barrier, which is the administration time. Currently, monoclonal antibodies to treat Covid-19 need to be given to patients via an IV infusion over a long period of time. GSK and Vir however are studying the delivery of the antibody in an intramuscular injection, which could increase access for millions of Americans. The intramuscular injection is currently in phase 2 clinical trials. The Race To Keep Antibody Treatments One Step Ahead Of Covid-19 Variants (Forbes)AbCellera’s Billionaire CEO Says New Covid Treatment Could Be A ‘Game Changer’ As Global Cases Rise (Forbes)Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus


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