Is the Omicron subvariant BA.2 antibody therapy disarming?
Key Takeaways:
- According to the findings, one of the few therapies for Covid-19 caused by the Omicron, sotrovimab, is losing its ability to neutralise BA.2.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron BA.2 variant is less dangerous than the original.
As per the latest report published in the journal Nature, while US health regulators added a fresh antibody drug to the nation's arsenal against the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the spreading rapidly subvariant, BA.2, may force doctors to reconsider antibody treatments for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Based on multiple investigations, the research implies that sotrovimab, one of the few treatments for Covid-19 induced by the Omicron, is losing its capacity to neutralize BA.2.
The Omicron BA.2 is not neutralized by Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Sotrovimab, or the Evusheld therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, according to a team of US researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine's department of microbiology.
According to the researchers, the findings "show the challenge of developing widely neutralizing monoclonal antibodies towards SARS-CoV-2," according to the researchers.
Another group of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons researchers reported that BA.2 was resistant to 17 of 19 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that showed "significant action" against BA.1. Both studies are in pre-print and have not been peer-reviewed.
However, David Ho, a virologist at Columbia University and co-author of one research, stated that laboratory findings could not be extrapolated to human treatment outcomes.
"We're just pointing out that BA.2 is highly resistant to sotrovimab in the lab, which raises doubts about whether you can fully cover BA.2 in patients," Ho said, according to Nature.
While BA.1 is still the most common variety of concerns in various nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, BA.2 instances are rising in India, China, and Denmark.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Omicron BA.2 variation is not more serious than the original. During an online question and answer session, Maria Van Kerkhove, a senior WHO official, stated that no difference in illness severity between BA.1 and BA.2 has been proven.
"As far as the danger of hospitalization is concerned, this is a similar level of severity. And this is critical since both BA.1 and BA.2 have had a lot of circulation in various countries, "she stated.