Pharma giant AstraZeneca said Tuesday it had begun a clinical trial of a drug designed to both prevent infection and treat people with COVID-19, with the first volunteers receiving doses. The drug, known as AZD7442, is a combination of two antibodies and is being tested on 48 healthy people aged between 18 and 55, the company said. ADVERTISEMENT“This trial is an important milestone in the development of our monoclonal antibody combination to prevent or treat COVID-19,” said Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca. The company said the trial would help evaluate the safety of the drug and be used both to prevent the disease and to stop it from progressing in patients already infected. News of the latest trial prompted shares in AstraZeneca to rise in early trading on Tuesday.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 25, 2020 11:26 UTC