By Asmau Ahmad with agency report
The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the use of Ronapreve, monoclonal antibody treatment for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, becoming the first treatment in Britain using artificial antibodies to tackle the virus.
MHRA said in a statement, issued to newsmen that clinical trial of the product developed by the United States pharmaceutical Renegeron and the Swiss company Roche showed that the drug cocktail prevented infection, promote resolution of acute symptoms of the disease and reduce hospitalizations.
UK Health Minister Sajid Javid was quoted as saying “this treatment will be a significant addition to our armoury to tackle COVID-19, in addition to our world-renowned vaccination programme and life-saving therapeutics dexamethasone and tocilizumab.”
Javid said that the government was working “at pace” with the National Health Service and expert clinicians to ensure the monoclonal antibody treatment can be rolled out to patients as soon as possible.
According to the MHRA, Ronapreve acts at the lining of the respiratory system where it binds tightly to the coronavirus and prevents it from gaining access to the cells of the respiratory system.
