TGA approves Sotrovimab for COVID treatment

Earlier this month, the federal government bought an initial 7,700 doses of Sotrovimab, with the first shipment ready to be deployed from next week. 

What does Sotrovimab do?

Sotrovimab is a new “monoclonal antibody therapy”. These drugs already exist in modern medicine and are used to treat diseases like cancer and arthritis. 

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a lab, that mimic the body’s immune system. They work by binding to a specific target — in this case, the coronavirus’ spike protein. They then block or slow down the virus to stop it replicating in the body. 

Health Minister Greg Hunt last Friday said while vaccination was still the most important protection against the coronavirus, this therapy was a new way to treat coronavirus, and reduce hospitalisations. 

Who can use it and how does it work?

Sotrovimab isn’t for everyone, with the government expecting between eight to 15 per cent of adults with COVID-19 could use it.

It will initially be targeted towards Australians aged over 55, who have both coronavirus and an additional risk factor that would make their COVID-19 worse, like diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or severe asthma. The treatment requires a single dose to be administered through an IV drip in a health facility. 

What other treatments do we have? 

While we have vaccines to help prevent us getting COVID-19, once we have it, we don’t have many options. 

There are only a couple of treatments that have been approved for use by the TGA: Remdesivir, which is an anti-viral drug, and Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory medication also used for conditions like arthritis or some cancers. While we only have a small number of doses so far, the addition of Sotrovimab simply means there is now another potential treatment for people who get sick from COVID-19.