Some COVID-19 patients in Abu Dhabi become among the first in the world to be treated with Sotrovimab

Some COVID-19 patients in Abu Dhabi become among the first in the world to be treated with Sotrovimab

Abu Dhabi: A select group of patients at Abu Dhabi's public facilities have on Thursday become the first in the UAE to be treated with Sotrovimab, the latest anti-COVID-19 medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. The monoclonal antibody therapy has also been approved for use in the UAE, by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) for COVID-19 patients aged 12 years and older who meet certain other criteria. On Wednesday, June 16, the Abu Dhabi Media Office announced that Abu Dhabi had become the first location globally to receive shipments of the anti-COVID-19 treatment. Sotrovimab is used for COVID-19 patients who have a high risk of developing severe symptoms, with need for hospitalisation. It is manufactured by British pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). According to reports, the drug has been shown to reduce fatalities by up to 85 per cent, as well as the number of COVID-19 cases that require hospitalisation for more than 24 hours. The drug has been sourced following a landmark agreement between GSK and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH), the emirate's health regulator, and Rafed, the UAE's leading group purchasing organisation (GPO). The first shipment arrived at Abu Dhabi International