AstraZeneca said June 15 that its COVID-19 antibody drug doesn't prevent symptomatic COVID-19 infection in people recently exposed to the virus.
A phase 3 clinical trial testing the drug, called AZD7442, in 1,121 people exposed to COVID-19 within eight days of treatment showed that the drug only lowered the risk of developing COVID-19 symptoms by 33 percent compared to a placebo. The results were not statistically significant.
However, the results suggested the drug may be successful in preventing symptomatic disease in people not infected with the virus. The drug reduced the risk of developing symptoms in that population by 73 percent, AstraZeneca said in a news release.
"While COVID-19 vaccination efforts have been successful, there is still a significant need for prevention and treatment options for certain populations, including those unable to be vaccinated or those who may have an inadequate response to vaccination," Myron Levin, MD, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora and the principal investigator for the trial, said.
The trial has not been peer reviewed, and full results won't be available until it is.
Read AstraZeneca's full news release here.