The UK's medicines regulator approved the use of artificial antibodies to fight and prevent Covid-19 as the first treatment.
Sajid Javid (the health secretary) said that approval of the first drug specifically designed for coronavirus is great news and he hopes it can be made available to patients on the NHS as soon possible.
According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Ronapreve could be used to prevent and treat acute Covid-19 infections. This would reduce the risk of admission to hospital.
The trials were conducted before widespread vaccination was available and before virus variants emerged. This is the first monoclonal combination product that has been approved by the UK government for use in the treatment and prevention of acute viral infection.
Monoclonal antibodies, artificial proteins that act as natural antibodies in the immune system, are monoclonal antibodies.
The drug, which was developed by Regeneron, Roche and is administered either in an injection or by infusion. It acts on the lining of your respiratory system, where it binds to the virus tightly and prevents it access to the cells.
Javid stated: Once they are proven safe and effective in government-backed clinical trials, the UK is considered a leader in finding and rolling out lifesaving treatments for Covid-19.
This is a fantastic announcement from the independent medicines regulator. It means that the UK has approved its first treatment specifically for Covid-19. This will be an important addition to the arsenal to combat Covid-19, alongside our world-renowned vaccine programme and life-saving therapies dexamethasone or tocilizumab.
We are currently working with experts clinicians and the NHS to ensure that this treatment is available to NHS patients as quickly as possible.
Dr Samantha Atkinson, interim chief quality officer and access officer at MHRAs, stated: We are happy to announce approval of another therapeutic therapy that can be used in order to save lives and protect from Covid-19.
Ronapreve, the first treatment for Covid-19, was developed by our experts and clinicians.
The public can be sure that all data has been thoroughly assessed by the MHRA without compromising on safety, quality, or efficacy.
According to the regulator, the NHS and the government would confirm the delivery of the treatment to patients when necessary.
