[Q&A] 'July Introduction' Evusheld: Is It Effective Against Omicron Subvariants?

Effective against Omicron BA.1 as well as BA.2, BA.4, BA.5
Vaccination priority given to severely immunocompromised individuals

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The quarantine authorities have decided to supply 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca (AZ)'s 'Evusheld' to South Korea in two batches, in July and October. Evusheld is an antibody agent that prevents COVID-19 infection, different from treatments like Lagevrio and Paxlovid, which are for patients already confirmed with the virus. It works by directly injecting antibodies into the bodies of severely immunocompromised individuals who have difficulty producing antibodies even after vaccination.

- How is it administered?

▲ Evusheld contains two monoclonal antibodies, tixagevimab and cilgavimab, each contained in separate ampoules and packaged together. They are administered sequentially via intramuscular (IM) injection, and it is characterized by providing disease prevention effects as quickly as within 4 hours. The preventive effect from the administration is known to last for at least 6 months. The quarantine authorities stated that they will comprehensively evaluate data from overseas regarding the decrease in Evusheld's effectiveness around 6 months and decide on re-administration in the future.

- Who is eligible to receive it?

▲ The domestic target group for administration is estimated to be about 10,000 people, including patients with hematologic cancers, organ transplant recipients, and individuals with congenital immunodeficiency who have no history of COVID-19 infection. However, in the United States, people who show severe adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines or those infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) are also included as candidates for Evusheld administration. The authorities prioritized immunocompromised individuals when determining the target group and stated that they will continue to review the possibility of expanding the target group in the future. Kwon Geun-yong, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Management Team at the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, said, "We prioritized those among the immunocompromised who cannot be expected to form antibodies fully," adding, "Although the administration of Evusheld to people with vaccine adverse reactions was also reviewed with expert consultation, we prioritized severely immunocompromised individuals who have a high risk of severe illness if infected."

- Is Evusheld used overseas?

▲ Evusheld is used in countries such as the United States, France, and Singapore. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency use of Evusheld in December last year, and Europe recommended marketing authorization in March this year. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also approved Evusheld in March.

- Is it effective against COVID-19 variants?

▲ Evusheld is known to be effective against subvariants such as Omicron (BA.1), BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5. Research results from the U.S. FDA and the University of Washington confirmed that Evusheld maintains infection prevention ability against BA.1 and BA.2, showing particularly stronger infection prevention against BA.2. Last month, a research team from Oxford University in the UK reported that Evusheld showed neutralizing activity against BA.4 and BA.5, which recently spread in South Africa, at levels similar to previous variants.

- What is the domestic administration procedure?

▲ Evusheld will be administered to patients based on medical staff's judgment. At this time, the patient’s cost burden is completely free, similar to the oral treatments already introduced domestically. Medical institutions administering the drug will be designated and operated by receiving applications from institutions treating severely immunocompromised patients. Medical staff can apply for Evusheld through the COVID-19 Vaccination Management System after determining the necessity of administration. The local public health center receiving the application from the medical institution will verify that the candidate has no history of COVID-19 infection and then apply to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for drug allocation. The KDCA will allocate and deliver Evusheld to the respective medical institution accordingly. Medical staff also plan to conduct monitoring to check the patient's health status after Evusheld administration.

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