Clinical Trial Tests New Antibody Cocktail in Patients with COVID-19

February 10, 2021

On February 8, the NIH released a news statement announcing the implementation of a Phase 3 clinical trial for a new combination of antibodies as a therapy treatment for COVID-19.

“Antibodies are infection-fighting proteins naturally made by the immune system… [they] prevent viruses from infecting cells, usually by binding to the surface of the virus” (1). AZD7442 antibodies are the third antibody combination to be studied in patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19, being tested under a “master protocol” which allows investigators to trial multiple antibody combinations at the same time. This means less patients are receiving the placebo while providing a more robust pool of results on the efficacy of antibodies as a therapeutic measure.

AZD7442 antibodies work for a longer period of time once administered in patients infected with COVID, and may also function as a preventative measure against SARS-CoV-2.