Another covid-19 miracle drug coming? Latest results from the GlaxoSmithKline trial: 85% lower risk of death

Antibody therapy is effective, and there are new coronavirus antibody drugs or soon approved in the United States.

Preliminary results from clinical trials conducted jointly by multinational pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and U.S. pharmaceutical unicorn vir biotechnology show that based on data from 583 volunteers participating in the trial, the monoclonal antibody drug jointly developed by the two companies can reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths of COVID-19 by 85% compared with the placebo comparison group.

GlaxoSmithKline also claims that another experimental result of the above drug shows that it is equally effective against some viral variants.

As a result, GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology said on Wednesday that given the very positive results of clinical trials, they will immediately seek emergency use authorizations for the drug in the United States and use authorizations in other countries.

If successful, the drug will be the fourth COVID-19 antibody drug approved in the United States, following Eli Lilly (bamlanivimab single-agent antibody therapy, sino-neutralizing antibody combination therapy in collaboration with Junshi Biologics) and Regenerative Element Pharmaceuticals (regenerative element new coronavirus neutralizing antibody therapy).

An independent data oversight committee has proposed to GlaxoSmithKline that the drug has significant efficacy based on an interim analysis of the experimental data and recommends early discontinuation of the clinical trial.

However, the companies said volunteers will continue to be monitored over the next 6 months, and more data will be released after the trial is completed.