On July 19, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided to approve the new coronavirus treatment called "antibody cocktail therapy" that Chugai applied for approval.
Approval examination will be conducted for "casilibimab" and "imdebimab", which Chugai applied for approval at the end of June as therapeutic agents for the new coronavirus.
It is a treatment method called "antibody cocktail therapy" in which two types of antibodies act to suppress the action of the virus when administered at the same time, and was approved for emergency use by the US FDA = Food and Drug Administration in November last year.
It was also given when former US President Trump was hospitalized, and according to Chugai, clinical trials conducted overseas have confirmed that it has the effect of reducing the risk of hospitalization and death by about 70%.
Chugai is seeking "special approval" that greatly simplifies the examination procedure, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to hold an expert group on July 19 to decide whether or not to approve it.
If approved, it will be the fourth treatment for the new coronavirus, following remdesivir, dexamethasone, and baricitinib.