Evusheld long-acting antibody combination approved in the EU for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in a broad population.
AstraZeneca's Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab), a long-acting antibody combination, has been granted marketing authorisation in the European Union (EU) for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in a broad population of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg.
The approval by the European Commission was based on results from the Evusheld clinical development programme, including data from the PROVENT Phase III pre-exposure prophylaxis trial which showed a 77% reduction in the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 compared to placebo at the primary analysis and an 83% reduction at a six-month median analysis, with protection from the virus lasting at least six months. Evusheld was generally well-tolerated in the trial.
Christoph D. Spinner, MD, Consulting Physician Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Officer at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar and adjunct teaching professor at the Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, said: “Increasing COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly-transmissible BA.2 subvariant, and withdrawal of several pandemic public health measures make it important to protect vulnerable populations, such as the immunocompromised, from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The authorisation of Evusheld for a broad population will allow health authorities in the EU to identify the populations who are most at-risk and need additional protection.”