AstraZeneca asks FDA for emergency authorization for new COVID treatment

AstraZeneca asks FDA for emergency authorization for new COVID treatment The drug maker is asking for emergency FDA authorization for its antibody treatment to help prevent COVID-19, which would help prevent disease for high-risk Americans with compromised immune systems. ABC News Videos YahooNews

The antibody therapy, called AZD7442, is the first long-acting antibody (LAAB) “with Phase III data demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 compared to placebo,” the drug maker said in a statement. While a vaccine helps a recipient’s immune system build antibodies on its own against a virus, antibody treatments use lab-made antibodies that can stay in a person's body for months and protect them against infection. If granted, AZD7442 would be the first LAAB to receive an emergency use authorisation for COVID-19 prevention.