Omicron hammers disease-modifying drug options
Australia is fortunate to have stocks of one of the few agents maintaining efficacy, leading clinician says
The Omicron variant is undermining multiple COVID-19 treatments, although the monoclonal antibody most used in Australia is holding up well, a top immunologist says.
A French preprint study published on bioRxiv last month found the Omicron variant was “totally or partially resistant” to nine different monoclonal antibodies being used or evaluated around the world.
But sotrovimab (Xevudy) continues to make a difference in what’s, “relatively speaking, a good news story for Australia”, says Professor Tony Kelleher, director of the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney.
The Australian Government has purchased 81,000 courses of the biologic.
