Several synthetic antibody treatments against COVID-19, including that of the Regeneron and Roche laboratories in France, are no longer effective against the Omicron variant, said the French research agency ANRS / Emerging infectious diseases on Friday.
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The preliminary results of preclinical trials on the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against the Omicron variant showed that Ronapreve (developed by Regeneron with the Roche laboratory) had “no longer significant activity against the Omicron variant”, specifies a press release. of the ANRS.
This medicine combines two synthetic antibodies, called “monoclonal”, casirivimab and imdevimab, and is administered by a single intravenous injection.
Synthetic antibodies are recommended by the WHO for elderly patients or patients with a weakened immune system.
The tests also show that the Regdanvimab monotherapy from the Celltrion laboratory and the Bamlanivimab / Etesevimab dual antibody therapy from the Lilly laboratory “no longer have significant activity against the Omicron variant”.
On the other hand, two products with authorizations for use in France retain a neutralizing activity against the new variant, underlines the ANRS.
It is first of all the monotherapy Xevudy (Sotrovimab antibody) developed by the GSK Vir Biotechnology laboratories, “whose decrease in activity is moderate”.
This antibody is offered for the early treatment of infected patients with risk factors for developing a severe form of COVID-19.
This is also the Evusheld therapeutic cocktail from the Astrazeneca laboratory (combination of the Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab antibodies) which “retains significant neutralizing activity despite a greater drop in activity”. This cocktail is proposed for the prevention of severe forms in immunocompromised patients.