New Covid drug Sotrovimab that cuts risk of death by nearly 80% is approved in UK

A new treatment found to cut the risk of death from Covid by nearly 80 per cent has been approved in the UK.

Xevudy (Sotrovimab), has today been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after it was found to be safe and effective.

The antibody treatment is most effective during the early stages of coronavirus illness, and has been authorised for use by people most at risk of serious illness.

In a statement the agency said that studies found it can reduce the risk of preventing infections requiring hospitalisation or death by 79 per cent.

It said: "In a clinical trial, a single dose of the monoclonal antibody was found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79% in high-risk adults with symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

"Based on the clinical trial data, sotrovimab is most effective when taken during the early stages of infection and so the MHRA recommends its use as soon as possible and within five days of symptom onset."

Trials found the treatment is 79 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation and death (Getty Images)

Sotrovimab, which was developed by pharmaceutical firms GSK and Vir Biotechnology, works by binding to the spike protein on the outside of the Covid-19 virus.

This prevents the virus from attaching to and entering human cells, so that it cannot replicate in the body.

It has been authorised for people with Covid who have at least one risk factor which might cause them to develop serious illness - like age, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

MHRA chief executive Dr June Raine said: "I am pleased to say that we now have another safe and effective COVID-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), for those at risk of developing severe illness.

MHRA boss Dr June Raine has welcomed the approval of the new treatment (PA)

“This is yet another therapeutic that has been shown to be effective at protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and signals another significant step forward in our fight against this devastating disease.

“With no compromises on quality, safety and effectiveness, the public can trust that the MHRA have conducted a robust and thorough assessment of all the available data.”

Sotrovimab is not intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against Covid.

The government and the NHS will confirm how this COVID-19 treatment will be deployed to patients in due course.