Health Canada is warning medical professionals that a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody drug is unlikely to be effective against the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant.
The country’s federal drug regulator issued a notice to health-care professionals on Thursday, indicating that sotrovimab will not likely work against BA.2, the dominant strain of Omicron across the globe. Health Canada did mention the treatment continues to be effective against the Omicron BA.1 and BA.1.1 sub-variants.
The sotrovimab drug by GlaxoSmithKline was approved for use by Health Canada in July and is only given to COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe illness leading to hospitalization, or dying because of age or medical conditions. It is administered intravenously.
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Sotrovimab, along with Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab and Regeneron’s antibody cocktail of casirivimab and imdevimab, is among three monoclonal antibodies that have been used in Canada since the start of the pandemic.
More to come.
— with files from Saba Aziz
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