Does Evusheld Protect People Against XBB.1.5

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published an at-a-glance summary of news regarding AstraZeneca's Evusheld™, a Long-Acting monoclonal antibody (mAbs) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The FDA posted an update on January 6, 2023, that the agency is closely monitoring the emergence of the XBB.1.5 subvariant.

This SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is currently estimated to account for 28% of circulating variants in the U.S.

Because of its similarity to variants not neutralized by Evusheld (e.g., XBB), the FDA does not anticipate that Evusheld will neutralize XBB.1.5.

This means that this mAbs may not protect against developing COVID-19 for individuals who have received Evusheld and are later exposed to XBB.1.5.

However, the FDA is awaiting additional data to verify that Evusheld is not active against XBB.1.5. 

Healthcare providers should inform individuals of the increased risk, compared to other variants, for COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 variants not being neutralized by Evusheld, says the FDA.

Other mAbs news is posted at Coronavirus Today.