EU approves Evusheld for preventing COVID-19

The European Union (EU) has granted marketing authorisation to AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab), a long-acting antibody combination for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in a broad population of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg, the company informed in a statement.

The approval by the European Commission was based on results from the Evusheld clinical development programme, including data from the Provent phase-III pre-exposure prophylaxis trial which showed a 77 per cent reduction in the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 compared to placebo at the primary analysis and an 83 per cent reduction at a six-month median analysis, with protection from the virus lasting at least six months. Evusheld was generally well-tolerated in the trial, the statement added.

Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said in the statement, “The EU approval represents an important milestone in our efforts to help prevent COVID-19, and we will continue to work with governments across Europe to make Evusheld available as quickly as possible. Evusheld has the potential to provide long-lasting protection against COVID-19 for a broad population of individuals, including those who aren’t adequately protected by a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as those at increased risk of exposure.”

Further, according to the statement, the recommended dose of Evusheld in Europe is 150mg of tixagevimab and 150mg of cilgavimab, administered as two separate sequential intramuscular (IM) injections.

There is a growing body of evidence from multiple independent in-vitro and in-vivo (animal model) studies supporting the potential of Evusheld to protect against the BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2 Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariants in circulation around the world. New data from the Washington University School of Medicine demonstrated Evusheld retained potent neutralising activity against the emerging and highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant, which is the dominant strain in many European countries and currently accounts for over 60 per cent of COVID-19 infections in Europe. This study also showed Evusheld reduced viral burden and limited inflammation in the lungs (in vivo) across all Omicron variants, the statement added.

Evusheld is authorised for emergency use for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in the US and has been granted conditional marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Great Britain for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19. Additionally, there are a number of countries across Europe that have agreements in place to provide Evusheld.

People who are not adequately protected by a COVID-19 vaccine may particularly benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis with Evusheld. This population includes about three million people in the EU who are immunocompromised such as people with cancer or transplant patients or anyone taking immunosuppressive medicines. Thirteen people at an increased risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus could also benefit from protection with Evusheld, as per the statement.

Evusheld is the only long-acting antibody combination with positive phase-III data in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. AstraZeneca is progressing with filings around the globe for potential Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for marketing approval of Evusheld in both COVID-19 prophylaxis and treatment.