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 The antibody therapy, which has yet to be approved by U.S.
regulators, is designed to treat the disease rather than prevent it
like the vaccine, which several countries have stopped using while
reports of blood clots in some people are investigated.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said on Tuesday the $205 million U.S.
extension for 500,000 antibody doses builds on a contract agreed
with government agencies in October for initial supplies of 200,000
doses of the antibody cocktail, AZD7442.
The treatment is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies,
London-listed AstraZeneca said, adding that the new agreement is
contingent on an emergency use approval by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.
"The US Government's support is critical in helping accelerate the
development of AZD7442," AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot
said.
The total value of the deal now stands at $726 million for up to
700,000 doses. AZD7442 is being evaluated in late-stage trials, the
company said, adding that it currently does not expect any changes
to its 2021 forecasts due to the deal.
While AstraZeneca has undergone a rollercoaster ride with its
COVID-19 vaccine, it has been working on developing new treatments
and repurposing its existing drugs to prevent and treat coronavirus
infections.
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 Monoclonal antibodies, such as
the ones being used in AZD7442, are
synthetically manufactured copies of the human
body's natural infection-fighting proteins, and
are already being used to treat some types of
cancers.
A series of issues have bogged down the
drugmaker's vaccine rollout: including pauses in
trials, questions over the most effective
dosing, and supply problems. Share gains from
optimism around the cheap and easy-to-ship shot
have also been decimated.
On Tuesday, the stock was up 1.5% at 7,090 pence
in early trading. At its peak in July last year,
the company hit 10,120 pence.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru,
Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Philippa
Fletcher)
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