Fear immunity-boost drugs are weaker against omicron

Scientists fear the omicron coronavirus variant will reduce the effectiveness of key drugs that are used to treat Covid-19 in vulnerable patients.

- SAMUEL LOVETT

As with the vaccines, it remains unclear as to what extent omicron will dent the protective levels provided by lab-made antibodies – a treatment that is available via the NHS for those people who struggle to mount a strong immune response against Covid-19.

But due to the high number of mutations in the variant’s spike protein, which is targeted by the antibodies, it’s expected that this type of treatment may need to be tweaked to better identify and neutralise omicron.

A number of antibody cocktails have been manufactured, though the UK has only approved one type, Ronapreve.

The drug, made by Regeneron and administered by injection or infusion, is being offered to hospitalised patients without Covid antibodies who are aged over 12 and considered immunocompromised.

However, the US maker said on Tuesday that analysis suggested its drug may be impacted by the mutations present in omicron. It said: “There may be reduced neutralisation activity of both vaccine-induced and monoclonal-antibody conveyed immunity.”

Scientists expect the same outcome for similar antibody-based treatments, such as from AstraZeneca.

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, said: “These monoclonal antibodies are likely to be less effective. I think that’s a big issue.”