Ronapreve, the next lifesaving drug in the fight against Covid-19. Following a recommendation by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and thorough review of evidence carried out by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) the first monoclonal antibody treatment for use in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the UK, branded Ronapreve in the United Kingdom (UK), was given approval for use on the 20th of August 2021.
The drug developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals with Roche first made headlines in the United States when it was used to treat then US President Donald Trump for his Covid-19 infection. Administered via injection or infusion, it is intended for those at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. It is important to note that it is used to treat/ prevent acute COVID-19 infection and is not a substitute for the COVID-19 Vaccine. Ronapreve falls under the monoclonal antibodies, medicinal class. These are laboratory-produced molecules that mimic the natural antibodies created by the immune system to fight disease.
The treatment contains two monoclonal antibodies, namely Casirivimab and Imdevimab, which are designed to prevent the attachment of Coronavirus to ACE2 receptors found on the surface of cells in the Human Respiratory Tract. The COVID-19 virus binds to the receptor to invade the cell where it replicates before proceeding to infect other cells. The advantage of this combination of the two monoclonal antibodies is that two different parts of the spike proteins which protrude from the virus are targeted and thus the ability of the spike protein from binding with the ACE2 receptor is impeded and the risk of the virus escaping from the immune system is reduced. To find out more about the MHRA announcement of Ronapreve approval and the government announcement for those patients initially set to benefit from this ground-breaking treatment follow the links below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-monoclonal-antibody-treatment-for-covid-19-approved-for-use-in-the-uk https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-patients-to-benefit-from-life-saving-covid-19-treatment