Evusheld to be introduced in Korea

Government limited to administration due to severe immunodeficiency

Additional purchases will be decided through future discussions considering trends, etc

The introduction of the COVID-19 prevention drug Evusheld in Korea has been confirmed.

 

The KDCA supplementary budget of 4.9083 trillion won was confirmed yesterday (29th), which includes securing a shortage of living support, paid vacation expenses, quarantine hospitalization, and home treatment expenses due to a surge in confirmed cases.

 

The government has decided to spend 39.6 billion won of the budget to introduce a new 20,000 doses of Evusheld by AstraZeneca, an antibody treatment for the purpose of preventing COVID-19 infection and severe immunity.

 

As a result, Evusheld, the first antibody complex for preventing the COVID-19 in Korea, is expected to be prescribed to immunodeficiency patients.

 

However, it is believed that the subject of administration will be limited.

 

The government limited Evusheld to patients undergoing severe immunosuppressive treatment who necessarily needed preventive antibody treatments.

 

Those with a history of COVID-19 confirmation were also excluded.

 

As a result of the report, it was confirmed that the health authorities expressed their intention to discuss increasing the use of reserve funds in consideration of the future epidemic situation and the need to expand the number of subjects and re-administration.

 

The U.S.

 

FDA approved Evusheld last December.

 

European EMA confirmed its introduction in March.

 

In addition, France, Australia, and Singapore have completed pre-purchase contracts for Evusheld for the purpose of preventing COVID-19.

 

An official from AstraZeneca said, "We hope it will help immunodeficiency patients such as blood cancer and organ transplant patients who were in the blind spot of COVID-19 prevention, and we will continue to do our best to provide smooth domestic supplies." Through various studies published in Nature Medicine, it has been confirmed that Evusheld is the only anti-antibiotics that maintain neutralization activity against omicron mutations.

 

As a result of phase 3 PROVID study, Evusheld reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection by 77% compared to placebo in the first analysis, and the risk was reduced by 83% in 6-month follow-up.

 

During the 6-month follow-up period, there were no severe or fatal cases in the Evusheld medication group.

 

More than 75% of the subjects who participated in the study had comorbid diseases that are likely to develop into severe diseases in the event of COVID-19, such as weakened immune systems at the time of baseline or did not show sufficient immune response to vaccination.