Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca this Tuesday acknowledged the failure to develop antibodies against covid-19 because its effectiveness has not been proven in clinical trials in humans exposed to the virus.
“The trial did not meet its primary goal of preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 after exposure” to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group said in a statement.
Antibody treatment under the designation AZD7442 was in the third phase of development, that is, in large-scale clinical trials to assess its safety and efficacy.
In these clinical trials, according to France-Presse, 1,121 adult volunteers who had not been vaccinated and had been in contact with an infected person in the previous eight days, and treatment reduced the risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms by 33 people. % of this universe.
Trials will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of antibodies in humans prior to exposure to the virus and in patients who develop severe forms of covid-19, according to the drug manufacturer.
The development of this treatment is funded by the US administration, which has signed an agreement with AstraZeneca to receive up to 700,000 doses this year.
In total, treatment development and dose delivery agreements are worth $ 726 million (roughly € 600 million) this year, with AstraZeneca said Tuesday that negotiations are underway with the United States government on the next steps. “
In several European countries, an Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical vaccine called Vaxzevria faces age restrictions and is recommended in Portugal for people over 60.
