Sotrovimab COVID-19 drug: A look at how it’s being used to combat Omicron in Canada

Sotrovimab is the only monoclonal antibody treatment that appears to be effective against the Omicron variant, according to medical experts.

A treatment for COVID-19 could prove pivotal as the only monoclonal antibody drug that appears to be effective against the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which is rapidly contributing to record case numbers in nearly every Canadian province.

The sotrovimab drug by GlaxoSmithKline was approved for use by Health Canada back in July and is only given to COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe illness leading to hospitalization, or dying because of age or medical conditions. It is administered intravenously.

Sotrovimab, along with Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab and Regeneron’s antibody cocktail of casirivimab and imdevimab, is among three monoclonal antibodies that have been used in Canada since the start of the pandemic.

But with Omicron neutralizing the effect of other monoclonal antibody treatments and quickly becoming the dominant strain of the virus in Canada, there is greater urgency to stock up on sotrovimab supply.

“There is an incredible global demand for this drug, considering it’s the only effective monoclonal for COVID-19 with Omicron,” said Dr. Zain Chagla, associate professor at McMaster University.

Chagla, who is an infectious disease physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, said his hospital has given about 60 or so doses in the last two to three weeks alone.

“Because there’s a limited capacity, we’re trying to pick patients where there’s a five to 10 percent risk of ending up in hospital,” he said.

In an emailed statement to Global News, Health Canada said it will look for opportunities to increase the supply of sotrovimab as it becomes available from its British manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.