AstraZeneca gets positive results from COVID-19 drug trial
straZeneca's combination drug AZD7442's Phase 3 outpatient trial reduced patients' risk of developing severe COVID-19 or death.
AZD7442 is a long-acting antibody combination drug that, according to the Cambridge, England-based pharmaceuticals firm, achieved a statistically significant reduction in severe Covid-19 or death compared to placebo in non-hospitalised patients with mild-to-moderate symptomatic Covid-19.
The drug reduced patients' risk of developing severe Covid-19 or death by 50%, compared to placebo in outpatients who had been symptomatic for seven days or less.
In an analysis of participants who received treatment within five days of when symptoms started AZD7442 reduced their risk by 67% compared to placebo.
AstraZeneca said 90% of the trial's 903 participants were from populations at high risk of progression to severe Covid, including those with co-morbidities. It met the primary endpoint of a 600 milligram dose by injection.
Last Tuesday, AstraZeneca said it had submitted an emergency use authorisation request to the US Food & Drug Administration for AZD7442's treatment for prophylaxis linked to Covid-19. It was the first long-acting antibody to receive an EUA for Covid-19 prevention.