The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is making adjustments at the end of this month to decide whether or not to approve a new therapeutic drug for the new coronavirus that uses antibodies developed by British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. I found out by interviewing people.


If approved, it will be the second type of drug that can be used in mildly ill patients.

It is a drug called "sotrobimab" that is approved or rejected.



A "neutralizing antibody" that suppresses the action of the new coronavirus is administered by intravenous drip, and the target patients are mild or moderate patients who do not need oxygen administration and are at high risk of becoming severe.



A clinical trial conducted overseas confirmed the effect of reducing the risk of hospitalization and death by 79%, so an application for approval was submitted to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on the 6th.

According to people familiar with the matter, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is coordinating to hold a subcommittee made up of experts on the 27th of this month to decide whether or not to approve it.



"Sotrobimab" was approved for emergency use in the United States in May.



If the approval is approved by the subcommittee, it is expected to be officially approved within the month, and it will be the second therapeutic drug that can be used for mildly ill patients, following "Antibody cocktail therapy" and "Ronapreve".