New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: The world continues to face an imminent threat from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that was detected in South Africa last month. Several European countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), have reimposed restrictions to control the massive Omicron surge. Omicron, which is considered to be more contagious than the Delta strain, has been dubbed as a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and it would be able to evade vaccine efficacy or not.
Amid this, AstraZeneca's antibody COVID-19 cocktail 'Evusheld' has given the world a glimmer of light. The company has claimed that Evusheld can neutralise Omicron and has shown promise for "wider use of the therapy". It said that the study was conducted by independent investigators of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adding that more analyses are being conducted by third parties and the data is expected to be out "very soon".
"This study shows Evusheld retains neutralisation activity against the Omicron variant. By combining two potent antibodies with different and complementary activities against the virus, Evusheld was designed to evade potential resistance with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants," said the company in a statement.
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AstraZeneca is also planning to bring Evusheld to India. The company has said that it is in talks with the Centre and will provide details about its antibody cocktail to the Indian authorities that might provide "adequate ammunition in the fight against COVID-19 disease especially for high risk vulnerable and immunocompromised patients".
"We welcome this news and the opportunity it provides to support the unmet needs of high risk and immune-compromised patients and we have already initiated engagements with the relevant health authorities in India to provide them with the latest evidence," said Gagandeep Singh Bedi, AstraZeneca India Pharma Ltd Managing Director.
In India, Roche India and Cipla Ltd had launched its antibody cocktail on May 24 this year. Besides, the Zydus Cadila had also sought a nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to start human trials for its antibody cocktail ZRC-3308. So here's a look at how the three antibody cocktails compare with each other.
Zydus:
The Zydus Cadila antibody cocktail comprises Casirivimab and Imdevimab - human immunoglobulin G-1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibodies that can block SARS-CoV-2's entry into the human body. The company has claimed that it can prevent hospitalisation in moderate and mild COVID-19 cases by 70 per cent. It also said that ZRC-3308 can also reduce lung damage and is safe and well-tolerated.
"At this juncture, there is a critical need to explore safer and more efficacious treatments to combat COVID," Zydus Cadila Managing Director Sharvil Patel was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Roche:
Roche's antibody cocktail is said to be 70 per cent effective against COVID-19 and can shorten the duration of symptoms by four days. It can be administered in patients who are 12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg. In India, a single dose is priced at Rs 59,750 for each patient.
Evushield:
Evushield contains tixagevimab and cilgavimab antibodies which the company claims can provide immunity against COVID-19 for up to six months. In a PROVENT study, Evusheld showed that it can reduce the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 by 83 per cent over six months. However, it can only be used for immunocompromised individuals currently.