A new antibody preparation is intended to protect people who cannot be vaccinated from corona – a long-awaited relief for risk groups. However, initial studies show that the drug does not appear to be able to combat the new omicron variant XBB.1.5.
The US drug agency FDA doubts the effectiveness of the antibody preparation Evusheld in the fight against the new coronavirus variant XBB.1.5. Even if we still have to wait for data, it is currently assumed that the Astrazeneca preparation will probably not render the variant harmless, the FDA said. This means that Evusheld may not offer protection. XBB.1.5 currently accounts for around 28 percent of all variants circulating in the USA.
In August, the Standing Vaccination Committee (Stiko) recommended the antibody preparation Evusheld as a preventive measure to particularly vulnerable groups aged 12 and over in addition to vaccination. Evusheld consists of two Sars-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies and can be injected into the muscle. The recommendation applies to people who, for certain reasons, cannot be vaccinated against Covid-19 and who also have risk factors for a severe course of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was already concerned about the new coronavirus variant on Wednesday. The variant discovered in October is as easily transferrable as none of the previously known variants, it said. According to the available gene analyzes of the virus, it is spreading mainly in the USA and Europe and has already been detected in 29 countries. It is a subgroup of the omicron variant that has been circulating since the end of 2021. A risk analysis is in progress and will be published shortly.
The US health agency CDC estimated earlier this year that XBB.1.5 accounted for around 40.5 percent of all new infections in the US in the week before the turn of the year. “In recent weeks, reports of hospitalizations and pressure on health systems have increased, particularly in regions in the northern hemisphere, where respiratory diseases such as influenza are also rampant,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.