The UAE has become the first country in the world to license and enable immediate patient use of Sotrovimab, which has been described as a “highly effective” new treatment for Covid-19.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) approved the emergency use of the antibody treatment from GSK after similar authorisation had been given by the US Food and Drug Administration.
According to a statement on state-run news agency WAM, Sotrovimab can reduce the risk hospitalisation for more than 24 hours and fatalities by as much as 85 percent when given to patients as an early treatment against coronavirus.
It will be available under emergency use for patients aged 12 or older with mild-to-moderate Covid-19, “who are at risk of progression to hospitalisation or death”, the report said.
Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said: “The new medicine will greatly contribute to speeding up the recovery of patients, reducing Covid-19-related deaths and hospitalisation period in intensive care units. It will also support the country’s efforts being made to conduct Covid-19 tests and administer vaccines, retaining its leading position among the world’s foremost countries, dealing efficiently with the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention
Dr. Mohamed Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, stressed the importance of partnerships between the UAE health sector, international research institutions and the private medical and pharmaceutical sector.
“From the earliest days of the pandemic, the MoHAP strategy has centred on embracing promising new technologies, including tests, vaccines and treatments in our efforts to subdue Covid-19,” he said.
“We have been pleased to partner with GSK to ensure that critical elements are in place to ensure early access, from licensing and shipments to training and new guidelines for doctors,” he added.
The UAE has one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world, having administered more than 12.7 million doses to its population of about 10 million.
110,605 doses of the #COVID19 vaccine were given in the last 24 hours, to reach 12,756,630 as a total number of doses and with a rate of 128.98 doses per 100 people as vaccine distribution. #TogetherWeRecover
— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) May 29, 2021
Vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc are approved for use in the country, although the UAE’s inoculation program has hinged on the Sinopharm jag, which is being produced locally and which won backing from the World Health Organisation earlier this month.
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