AstraZeneca starts trial of Covid-19 antibody treatment

AstraZeneca said the UK first participants have been dosed in a Phase I trial of a combination of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to prevent and treat Covid-19.

The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of the drug, called AZD7442, and will include up to 48 healthy participants aged 18 - 55 years.

“Should AZD7442 prove to be tolerated and have a favourable safety profile in the trial, AstraZeneca will progress it into larger late-stage Phase II and Phase III trials to evaluate its efficacy as a potential preventative and treatment approach against Covid-19,”AstraZeneca said on Tuesday.

"Synthesised in the laboratory, mAbs aim to mimic natural antibodies. The treatment has the potential to be given as a preventative option for people exposed to the virus, and to treat and prevent disease progression in patients already infected by the virus."

The trial is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, part of the US Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services.