New Antibody Treatment For COVID-19 Showing Early Success

A new antibody treatment for COVID-19, sotrovimab, is showing early success in preventing serious illness. The monoclonal antibody treatment is being offered to patients who meet criteria in major hospitals across Sydney. Clinical trials have found that a single dose reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 79%.

Sotrovimab works in a similar manner to our own natural antibodies, by binding the coronavirus and preventing it from infecting cells. Currently, the treatment can only be given to people with COVID-19 who have other risk factors such as diabetes or heart failure, and only if they don’t require oxygen and it is within 5 days of symptoms appearing. It is expected to be recommended to 8-15% of COVID-19 patients.