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 The study assessed whether the therapy, a cocktail of two types of
antibodies, could prevent adults who had been exposed to the virus
in the past eight days from developing COVID-19 symptoms.
The therapy, AZD7442, was 33% effective in reducing the risk of
people developing symptoms compared with a placebo, but that result
was not statistically significant — meaning it might have been due
to chance and not the therapy.
The Phase III study, which has not been peer reviewed, included
1,121 participants in the United Kingdom and the United States. The
vast majority, though not all, were free of the virus at the start
of the trial.
Results for a subset of participants who were not infected to begin
with was more encouraging but the primary analysis rested on results
from all participants.
"While this trial did not meet the primary endpoint against
symptomatic illness, we are encouraged by the protection seen in the
PCR negative participants following treatment with AZD7442,"
AstraZeneca Executive Vice President Mene Pangalos said in a
statement.
The company is banking on further studies to revive the product's
fortunes. Five more trials are ongoing, testing the antibody
cocktail as treatment or in prevention.
The next one will likely be from a larger trial testing the product
in people with a weakened immune system due to cancer or an organ
transplant, who may not benefit from a vaccine.
TARGETED ALTERNATIVES
AZD7442 belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies
which mimic natural antibodies produced by the body to fight off
infections.
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Similar therapies developed by rivals Regeneron and Eli Lilly have
been approved by U.S. regulators for treating unhospitalised COVID
patients.
European regulators have also authorised Regeneron's therapy and are
reviewing those developed by partners GlaxoSmithKline and Vir
Biotechnology as well as by Lilly and Celltrion.
Regeneron is also seeking U.S. authorisation for its therapy as a
preventative treatment.
But the AstraZeneca results are a small blow for the drug industry
as it tries to find more targeted alternatives to COVID-19
inoculations, particularly for people who may not be able to get
vaccinated or those who may have an inadequate response to
inoculations.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, which has faced a rollercoaster of
challenges with the rollout of its COVID-19 vaccine, is also
developing new treatments and repurposing existing drugs to fight
the virus.
AstraZeneca also said on Tuesday it was in talks with the U.S.
government on "next steps" regarding a $205 million deal to supply
up to 500,000 doses of AZD7442. Swiss manufacturer Lonza was
contracted to produce AZD7442.
Shares in the company were largely unchanged on the London Stock
Exchange.
The full results will be submitted for publication in a
peer-reviewed medical journal, the company said.
(Reporting by Vishwadha Chander in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak
Dasgupta, Kim Coghill and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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