Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

(asked on 30th November 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people who have no immune response to the covid-19 vaccine will be given priority access to monoclonal antibody or antiviral treatments.


Answered by
Maggie Throup Portrait
Maggie Throup
This question was answered on 7th December 2021

Immunocompromised individuals are a priority cohort for research into therapeutic and prophylaxis treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies and repurposed compounds.

Ronapreve is the first neutralising monoclonal antibody to receive marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to treat and prevent COVID-19. The interim clinical policy was updated on 4 November to expand treatment

to a wider group of hospitalised patients, which may include immunocompromised patients.

Xevudy (sotrovimab) has been approved by the MHRA as effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease. We will confirm how this treatment will be deployed to patients in due course. On 20 October, we announced two oral antiviral treatments for United Kingdom patients. Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) has now received MHRA authorisation, while PF-07321332 (Paxlovid) is pending approval from the MHRA.

Antivirals will be deployed initially through a national study prioritising those most at risk from COVID-19, including those who are immunocompromised and will identify those who will benefit most from treatment. The Department will provide more information on the national study, including eligibility, in due course.

Reticulating Splines