AstraZeneca's Covid-19 antibody combination receives EU approval

Drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Tuesday that Evusheld, its long-acting antibody combination, had been granted approval for the treatment of adults and adolescents with Covid-19 in the European Union.

AstraZeneca said the approval by the European Commission was based on results from a Phase III Covid-19 treatment trial, which showed one intramuscular dose of Evusheld provided "clinically and statistically significant protection" against progression to severe Covid-19 or death from any cause compared to placebo.

The FTSE 100-listed group also stated the study showed that treatment with Evusheld earlier in the disease course led to "more favourable" outcomes.

Iskra Reic, AZN's executive vice president of vaccines and immune therapies, said: "Covid-19 remains an ongoing health concern for millions of Europeans and around the world, especially for those who may not be well-protected against the virus from vaccination.

"With this approval, Evusheld is now the only long-acting antibody combination available for both prevention and treatment of Covid-19 in Europe, allowing us to protect even more people from this devastating disease."

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com