Omicron variant of coronavirus: All 37 mutants defeated by this treatment

The emergence of the new Omicron variant has once again stirred a sense of fear among people. The mutant of coronavirus that emerged from South Africa is believed to cause serious symptoms and is being suspected to be potent enough to cause the third wave across the globe. The most concerning part is that none of the vaccines being administered at the current time provide complete protection against the virus. But in a recent turn of events, GlaxoSmithKline plc, a British-American multinational pharmaceutical company has revealed that its COVID-19 antibody treatment is effective against the mutant of omicron variant.

The pharmaceutical giant on Tuesday stated that after a detailed in-vitro test carried out against a pseudo-virus that recreates a synthesized version of omicron, they found that their drug sotrovimab, which is an antibody treatment, is effective against all the mutants of the virus and not just the key ones. The drugmaker carried out the test on all 37 mutants identified to date in the spike protein from different parts of the world till now.

The drug markers said that their antibody treatment leads to less than a three-fold drop in neutralization during tests. Based on the findings, they expressed confidence that sotrovimab will continue to provide significant benefit in case of early treatment of coronavirus. It is expected to cause fewer symptoms and reduce the risk of severe consequences of COVID-19. Taking sotrovimab in the initial phase of coronavirus infection can also cut down the risk of hospitalization and death.

Sotrovimab is an FDA approved medication for emergency use to treat COVID-19. It is given to people 12 years and above who have been recently tested for mild or moderate coronavirus symptoms and have not been hospitalized. This drug is mainly given to people who have a high risk of developing coronavirus related complications due to added comorbidities like older age, obesity, or conditions like lung, kidney, or heart disease, diabetes.

When given within 10 days of infection, the drug can neutralize the coronavirus and may prevent the worsening of COVID-19 symptoms. It is given one time by injection into a vein by a healthcare professional. It is infused for over 30 minutes. After that, the patient is kept under observation to see if they develop serious side effects. As far as the effectiveness of the drug is concerned, there is limited information available on it. The drug should not be provided without consulting the doctor.