Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allow monoclonal antibodies to be used as a treatment for (a) immunosuppressed patients and (b) the general population.

Neutralising monoclonal antibodies are now being used for the treatment of COVID-19. Since September, Ronapreve (casirivimab and imdevimab) has been used to treat patients hospitalised with COVID-19 at high risk of progression and without their own antibodies, which would include immunosuppressed patients. Since 4 November this interim National Health Service (NHS) clinical policy was expanded to allow access to a wider group of patients with hospital-onset COVID-19 and from 20 December this policy included Xevudy (sotrovimab).

From December 16, a new NHS clinical policy makes monoclonal antibody therapies available for non-hospitalised patients who test positive on a Polymerase chain reaction test, developed symptoms within five days, are aged 12 or above and are considered highest risk of progression to severe disease, hospitalisation or death, including immunosuppressed patients. Xevudy has been available under this policy since 20 December.

Ronapreve may also be used in areas where local prevalence of the Omicron variant remains below 50%.