China gives emergency approval for the first drug against the Corona virus

Weather of Arabia - The Chinese Medicines Authority granted emergency approval for the country's first specialized treatment against the Corona virus (Covid-19), after clinical trials demonstrated its ability to significantly reduce hospital admissions and deaths among patients at high risk.

This came in an official notice published on Wednesday (8 December), which was awarded the National Administration of Chinese medical products "emergency approval" for the treatment of antibody monoclonal, antibody monoclonal is a type of protein associated protein prickly virus Corona, which reduces its ability to enter body cells.

The drug authority said the treatment includes a combination of two drugs given orally and was jointly developed by Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital and Brii Biosciences.

In a statement on social media, Tsinghua University said experimental data showed that the combination therapy can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients by about 80%.

China is among the first countries to approve similar treatments for Covid-19, with British regulators last week also allowing antibody treatments.

European Union health authorities have approved pills for emergency use, too - including antiviral drugs that slow disease by limiting the virus's ability to replicate inside the body.

And while the pills are easier to use, the most effective treatment for Covid currently includes monoclonal antibodies, which are given via a drip.

The move comes as regulators around the world are giving the green light for treatments - especially for high-risk groups - amid concerns about the spread of the new Omicron mutant, and results on how the Omicron mutant affects the antibody cocktail are expected in about two weeks. .

The manufacturer of the therapeutic drug (Brii) will work with potential partners to obtain regulatory authorization for the treatment in regions outside China and the United States, with priority given to countries where it has already begun a Phase 3 trial of the product, such as South Africa, Brazil and Mexico.

Before approval, the treatment had already been used on nearly 900 patients in China amid the local outbreak, the company said.