A drug co-developed by GlaxoSmithKline PLC (LSE:GSK) to treat moderate-to-severe Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases is effective against the omicron variant, according to a second batch of positive pre-clinical data.
The latest results from a test of sotrovimab against a pseudo-virus tally with the earlier information released on December 2.
The treatment, jointly developed with Nasdaq-listed Vir Biotechnology, is available in hospitals in the US under emergency-use authorisation.
It has also been submitted to the European Medicines Agency for marketing authorisation under the tradename Xevudy.
Vir’s chief executive George Scangos said he expected sotrovimab will continue to provide ‘significant benefit’ for the early treatment of patients hoping to avoid the most severe symptoms of COVID.
"Sotrovimab is the first monoclonal antibody to report preclinical data demonstrating activity against all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and interest to date, including omicron, as well as the still prevalent and highly contagious delta variant,” he added.