Dec 2 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline on Thursday said that a lab analysis of the antibody-based COVID-19 therapy it is developing with U.S. partner Vir has shown the drug is effective against the new Omicron variant.
In a statement, the British drugmaker said that lab tests and a study on hamsters have demonstrated the sotrovimab antibody cocktail to work against viruses that were bio-engineered to carry a number of hallmark mutations of the Omicron variant.
The tests are ongoing to confirm the results against all of the Omicron mutations with an update expected by year-end, it added.
Separately, Britain’s drug regulator on Thursday approved sotrovimab, also known under the brand name Xevudy, for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommended use of Xevudy as soon as possible and within five days of the onset of symptoms.
GSK was late to the party in releasing Covid vaccine and was severely punished by investors.
Here we are with a fantastic news in regards to Omicron and as expected investors remained silent. Let’s say this news came out from Pfizer or Modena share prize would have gone through the roof!!
The global health challenges that faces the world cannot be solved by the likes of Pfizer alone!!!
If investors continue this downward trend of marginalising wonderful companies like GSK simply because of their origin, we would all collectively including our children pay for it when the medicines are not available.