AZD7442

Subject: Science and tech

Context : Swedish-British drug giant AstraZeneca recently said it was moving an antibody combination developed for Covid-19 treatment into late-stage human trials.

The firm has also received around $486 million from the US government.

Concept :

About:

• AZD7442, a similar class of the drug cocktail used to treat US President recently, is a combination of two long-acting monoclonal antibodies (LAAB).
• AstraZeneca developed it using its proprietary technology with the aim of preventing Covid-19 infection for a long duration.
• LAABs mimic natural antibodies, and a combination of LAABs could be “complementary” to vaccines as a prophylactic agent.
• This means it could either be used on people for whom a vaccine may not be appropriate or it could be given as added protection for those at high-risk.