UAE approves new treatment for COVID-19

UAE approves new treatment for COVID-19

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has approved the emergency use of a highly-effective new treatment for COVID-19, becoming the first country in the world to both licence and enable immediate patient use. Endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration, the new treatment, from globally-leading healthcare company GSK, 'Sotrovimab (Vir-7831)' offers the prospect of reducing hospitalisation for more than 24 hours and fatalities by as much as 85% when administered to patients as an early treatment for COVID-19. The UAE has authorised the emergency use of Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of patients aged 12 years or older with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease who are at risk of progression to hospitalisation or death. In pre-clinical studies, Sotrovimab has demonstrated effectiveness as a monotherapy against widely circulating variants of the disease. "Such a new qualitative achievement would not have been possible had it not been for the UAE leadership's keenness to proactively address the pandemic, attract and provide innovative medicines that prove effective and efficient, and adopting them as treatment protocols,“ said AbdulRahman bin Mohamad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention. "The new medicine will greatly contribute to speeding up the recovery of patients,