BANGKOK, July 27 (TNA) – The Ministry of Public Health started the inoculation of long active antibody (LAAB) for vulnerable people including renal failure patients and those who received organ transplant or chemotherapy.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government ordered 250,000 LAAB doses from AstraZeneca which already delivered 7,000 of them.

 

The procurement resulted from an amendment to a previous COVID-19 vaccine acquisition contract with AstraZeneca.

 

Full Story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-987092

 

-- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-07-27

 

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Thailand receives COVID-19 prevention antibody drug from AstraZeneca

by Tanakorn Sangiam

 

    

The Ministry of Public Health has received the long-acting antibody drug from AstraZeneca, intended to help provide immunocompromised persons with protection against COVID-19.

 

The drugmaker today delivered the first 7,000 doses of its antibody treatment, out of the initial 250,000 doses ordered by the Thai government.

 

Unlike vaccines, which trigger the immune system to generate immune responses against a pathogen, this long-acting antibody treatment can provide ready-to-use antibodies that neutralize the virus, preventing it from infecting cells.

 

Health authorities in Thailand intend to provide this prophylaxis treatment to those with weakened immune systems, who may not be able to adequately generate a sufficient level of immune response after vaccination.

 

The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to roll out Evusheld to patients with chronic kidney diseases who require regular dialysis, and patients on immunosuppressants.

 

According to the ministry, there are some 500,000 people in Thailand who live with weakened immune systems.

 

Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said this antibody treatment is safe and will help reduce the chance of infections, severe illness, and death from COVID-19.

 

He said the treatment will be provided to eligible patients at no cost, adding that private hospitals can request the treatment from the Ministry of Public Health for their patients at no charge.

 

Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit, Permanent Secretary of Public Health, said medical professionals are ready to provide this antibody treatment to all patients.

 

He said preparation briefings on the use of this treatment are being organized and the drug will gradually be distributed to service areas.

 

AstraZeneca’s Evusheld treatment is intended for use in people 12 years old and over, weighing 40 kilograms or more. The administration of this drug can provide around 6 months of protection.

 

Patients with chronic kidney disease, organ transplant recipients, patients on immunosuppressants, and anyone who cannot generate immune protection after vaccination can benefit from this antibody treatment.

 

The drug should be administered to those without a prior history of COVID-19 infections, and those who are not considered at high risk. Minimal side effects have been reported from the use of this treatment.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-07-28

 

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You mean that there are some anti virals left over after Anutin helped himself to them? How generous of him.

To be honest, I've never heard about it in UK.

Might be a leftover, selling for a good price to recommended scientists as Dr. Anutin.????????????

"Tixagevimab/cilgavimab, sold under the brand name Evusheld is a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies, tixagevimab (AZD8895) and cilgavimab (AZD1061) targeted against the surface spike protein of SARS-CoV-2^[14][15] used to prevent COVID-19."

...

"In December 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization of this combination to prevent COVID-19 (before exposure) in people with weakened immunity or who cannot be fully vaccinated due to a history of severe reaction to coronavirus vaccines.^[27] and in certain people aged 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms (88 lb)."

...

In March 2022, the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) committee CHMP adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Evusheld...  It has since been granted approval for use in the UK^[32][33] and in the European Union."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tixagevimab/cilgavimab

 

 

Evusheld long-acting antibody combination retains neutralising activity against Omicron variant in independent FDA study

 

Only antibody authorised in the US for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 

 

"AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab), a long-acting antibody combination for the prevention of COVID-19, retained  neutralising activity against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant (B.1.1.529), according to new preclinical data.

...

The early data, generated by pseudovirus testing of the full Omicron variant spike against the combination of tixagevimab with cilgavimab, the antibodies that comprise Evusheld, add to the growing body of preclinical evidence demonstrating that Evusheld retains activity against all tested variants of concern to date.¹

 

The study was performed independently by investigators at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The work was supported by US government research funds.

 

(more)

 

https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2021/evusheld-long-acting-antibody-combination-retains-neutralising-activity-against-omicron-variant-in-independent-fda-study.html