US authorizes new antibody drug to fight omicron
ABC News
U.S. health regulators have authorized a new antibody drug that targets the omicron variant
WASHINGTON -- U.S. health regulators on Friday authorized a new antibody drug that targets the omicron variant, a key step in restocking the nation's arsenal against the latest version of COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration said it cleared the Eli Lilly drug for adults and adolescent patients with mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19. Lilly announced work on the treatment late last year after testing revealed that its previous antibody therapy was ineffective against the dominant omicron variant.
The Biden administration has purchased 600,000 doses before the authorization and will begin shipping initial supplies to state health authorities for distribution.
It's "an important step in meeting the need for more tools to treat patients as new variants of the virus continue to emerge," said Dr. Patricia Cavazzoni, FDA's drug center director.
