FDA authorizes monoclonal antibody treatment effective against omicron variant 

The Food and Drug Administration today authorized emergency use of the monoclonal antibody bebtelovimab to treat COVID-19 in outpatients at risk of progressing to severe disease or hospitalization. The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday announced plans to distribute at least 600,000 free treatment courses of the drug to states. The government has agreed to buy the treatment courses from Eli Lilly for delivery in February and March, with an option to purchase 500,000 additional doses in the future, the agency said.
 
“Early data suggests that this new product by Lilly has activity against both Omicron and the BA.2 Omicron subvariant,” HHS said. “Should the BA.2 subvariant grow in proportion in the U.S., this potential treatment may help ensure that we can continue to offer monoclonal antibody treatment that works against that strain of the virus.”