Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to order monoclonal antibody therapies as an alternative to COVID-19 vaccines; and if so, whether they plan to do so before AstraZeneca reports the findings of its PROVENT study.
The Therapeutics Taskforce continues to monitor a range of COVID-19 therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies, aimed at different stages of the treatment pathway. There has been a collaboration with the Vaccines Taskforce to assess the potential of neutralising monoclonal antibodies to provide passive immunity as an alternative to COVID-19 vaccines. We continue to work closely with the cross-agency group RAPID C-19, to assess evidence from clinical trials and delivery to patients, following regulatory approval.
We are in contact with a number of manufacturers to ensure that United Kingdom patients have access to COVID-19 therapeutics as evidence continues to emerge. Clinical trials, such as AstraZeneca’s PROVENT study, will be crucial in providing evidence as to which treatments are most effective.