Omicron Variant May Reduce Efficacy of Two U.S. COVID-19 Therapeutics

Xinhua News Agency, Washington, December 20th, by reporter Jingjing Tan (谭晶晶) According to the latest statements from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company, the mutated novel coronavirus Omicron strain may reduce the effectiveness of two COVID-19 drug therapies.

These two drug therapies are REGEN-COV, a "cocktail therapy" composed of a combination of two monoclonal antibodies (commonly abbreviated as mAbs) developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody drug developed by Eli Lilly and Company.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three monoclonal antibody drugs for treating COVID-19 patients. In addition to the aforementioned two, there is also sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody drug jointly developed by Vir Biotechnology, Inc. of the United States and GlaxoSmithKline of the United Kingdom. These three drugs are administered via intravenous or intramuscular injection for the early treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients, which can reduce the likelihood of patients progressing to severe conditions.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s publication on the 16th stated that although the effectiveness of its "antibody cocktail therapy" REGEN-COV against the Omicron variant has diminished, it remains effective against the Delta variant. The company indicated that the next-generation monoclonal antibody drugs they are developing are effective against Omicron, Delta, and other "variants of concern," but clinical trials will not commence until at least the first quarter of 2022.

A spokesperson for Eli Lilly and Company recently stated that due to the presence of numerous mutations on the spike protein of the Omicron variant, the neutralizing activity of its monoclonal antibody drug bamlanivimab against the virus may decrease.

Eli Lilly and Company CEO David Ricks recently told U.S. media that the company is developing a new monoclonal antibody drug. Early research data shows that the new drug is more effective against the Omicron variant and can also neutralize the Delta variant. The drug is currently in the clinical trial stage.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website announced on the 17th that the department is currently preparing to transport 55,000 doses of another monoclonal antibody drug, sotrovimab, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to health departments in various states across the United States as soon as possible. Earlier reports from American media indicated that early experimental data showed sotrovimab to be effective against the Omicron variant, but its supply is limited in the United States.

Recently, the Omicron variant has been spreading rapidly across the United States, causing a significant rebound in pandemic indicators. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website shows that as of the 20th, all but two states in the U.S. have reported cases of infection with this variant.