Drug made from antibodies ‘works better than vaccines’

A CORONAVIRUS drug created using the antibodies of Covid survivors gives better protection than vaccines after six months and could last for a year, trial results suggested yesterday.

Astrazeneca announced that its injection AZD7442 reduces the risk of symptomatic Covid by 83 per cent six months after a single dose. Vaccines can wane substantially in the months following a jab, even after two doses.

The company said the artificial antibodies appeared to last longer than the vaccine, and a single injection could offer protection for a year.

A separate trial shows the drug also reduces the risk of severe Covid and death by 88 per cent when given within three days of symptom onset.

The drug could be a breakthrough in treatment for elderly and immunocompromised people who cannot mount an adequate immune response against the virus, even after vaccination.

Prof Hugh Montgomery, principal investigator for AZD7442 from University College London, said: “This longacting antibody combination can provide my vulnerable patients with the long-lasting protection they urgently need to finally return to their everyday lives. Importantly, six months of protection was maintained despite the surge of the delta variant among these highrisk participants who may not respond adequately to vaccination.”

About one in 50 people does not make an adequate response to the vaccine, and the treatment could also be useful to help protect at-risk groups, such as elderly people in care homes.

Groups who could benefit include people with cancer being treated with chemotherapy, patients on dialysis, or those taking medication to suppress their immune systems, such as people undergoing organ transplants, those with arthritis or with multiple sclerosis.

The drug, which only needs a single dose, is a combination of two antibodies that are derived from immune B-cells donated by convalescent patients who had recovered from the virus.

Astrazeneca said it was designed to last for three times as long as conventional antibodies and a single dose could give protection for up to 12 months.

Experts said the treatment was unique in that it offered one-step, longterm protection for the most vulnerable who do not respond well to the vaccine.

Prof Penny Ward, at Kings College, London, said: “As its effect is long lasting – one treatment may offer protection for a year, it is arguably preferable to other short-acting monoclonal antibody combinations that require repeat doses to be effective preventing illness.”