US FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for GSK-Vir COVID-19 Antibody Treatment

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] On the 26th (local time), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of the COVID-19 antibody treatment 'Sotrovimab,' jointly developed by global pharmaceutical company GSK and U.S. biotech company Vir Biotechnology.

According to major foreign media, the FDA approved the use of Sotrovimab only for mild to moderate COVID-19 patients aged 12 and older. It did not approve its use for severe patients who are hospitalized or require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also concluded on the 21st that Sotrovimab can be used to treat COVID-19 patients.

Antibody treatments are manufactured by selecting antibodies with the strongest virus-neutralizing ability from the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients, inserting their genes into cells, and culturing them for mass production.

Along with vaccines, these drugs are gaining attention for helping to suppress the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its damage. South Korea's first COVID-19 treatment, Celltrion's 'Rekkironaju,' is also an antibody treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.