The American health authorities announced on Friday to urgently authorize a new treatment against Covid-19, the bebtelovimab monoclonal antibodies, which remain effective against the Omicron variant.
This treatment remains active including against the sub-variant of Omicron BA.2, specified the American Medicines Agency (FDA).
Produced by the pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly, it can be administered to people at high risk of developing a severe case of the disease, from the age of 12.
In clinical trials, side effects could include itching, nausea, or vomiting.
In mid-January, the FDA had revoked the emergency authorization of two treatments, monoclonal antibodies from Regeneron (casirivimab and imdevimab) and others from Eli Lilly (bamlanivimab and etesevimab), because they had proved ineffective. against Omicron.
Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight the virus, in order to support it.
Usually injected intravenously, they work by attaching themselves to the spike protein on the surface of the virus, which is its entry key into the body.
The effectiveness of the booster dose of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna declines over time, but remains high against hospitalizations four months after injection, also revealed a study published Friday by the American health authorities.
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