WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently authorized the emergency use of a monoclonal antibody drug that can be used to treat the infection of the mutated new coronavirus Amy Kerong strain.
This is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration building photographed in Maryland, U.S., on Aug. 23, 2021. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Shen Ting)
The US Drug Administration issued a communiqué on the 11th that this new drug developed by Eli Lilly is called bebtelovimab, which is authorized to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and adolescent new crown patients who meet certain conditions, and cannot be used for new crown patients who have been hospitalized or need oxygen therapy.
The monoclonal antibody drug requires intravenous injection and can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death caused by the new crown virus infection by binding to the spike protein on the surface of the new crown virus, the communique said. Experiments showed that the drug showed neutralizing activity against the Amicoreon strain and its subtype variant strain BA.2. Side effects that may occur after injection of this drug include itching, rash, infusion-related reactions, nausea, and vomiting.
The US Drug Administration stressed that this new antiviral drug is not a substitute for vaccination, and people who meet the conditions for vaccination should also be vaccinated against COVID-19.
![Coronavirus busters found? China's special drugs are highly recognized, and the United States and Europe urgently seek millions of doses[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)