AstraZeneca says its new COVID drug Evusheld also works against the Omicron variant and its super-infectious BA.2 subvariant, which is rapidly becoming the major strain of the coronavirus around the world. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said a study by Washington University showed the drug reduced the amount of virus found in the lungs of deliberately infected mice and also reduced inflammation. “The findings further support Evusheld as a potential important option to help protect vulnerable patients such as the immunocompromised, who could face poor outcomes if they were to become infected with COVID-19,” senior AstraZeneca executive John Perez said. The therapy, which uses lab-made antibodies designed to linger in the body for months, has been cleared for use in the U.S. and U.K. as a second-line defense after vaccination.
