The World Health Organisation (WHO) has strongly advised against antibody treatments for COVID-19 patients, stating that antibody drugs, including sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab, are not working on new variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like Omicron. These drugs work by binding to the spike protein of the virus, thereby neutralizing the viruss ability to infect cells.

A WHO Guideline Development Group of international experts in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) noted that well-informed patients chose not to receive sotrovimab or casirivimab-imdevimab. However, in the same update, the WHO recommended the use of the antiviral drug remdesivir in patients with severe COVID-19 on a conditional basis, though it was recommended that the drug should be avoided for patients with critical COVID-19. These recommendations were based on results from 5 randomized trials involving 7,643 patients, showing a mortality rate of 13 deaths per 1,000 patients with severe COVID-19 taking remdesivir, in comparison to 34 deaths per 1,000 patients with critical COVID-19 taking the drug.

Also, the WHO panel advised that three drugs, i.e., IL-6 receptor blockers tocilizumab or sarilumab and the JAK inhibitor baricitinib used to treat arthritis, can be combined, in addition to corticosteroids, in patients with severe or critical COVID-19. However, the panel acknowledged some cost and resource implications associated with these drugs, which, they said, could exacerbate health inequities. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1000616 )