AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Therapy Hits Goal In Phase 3 Trial

AstraZeneca Plc AZN released top-line data from the TACKLE Phase 3 trial in which its experimental COVID-19 drug has helped cut the risk of severe disease or death in a late-stage study.

The drug, a cocktail of two antibodies called AZD7442, reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 or death by 50% in non-hospitalized patients who have had symptoms for seven days or less, meeting the primary goal of the study.

Having enrolled more than 800 non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19, investigators saw 18 cases of severe disease or death in the AZD7442 arm compared to 37 in the placebo cohort.

Related: AstraZeneca Seeks Emergency Use Nod For COVID-19 Drug To Prevent Infection

It is designed to protect people who do not have a strong enough immune response to vaccines. "These positive results show that a convenient intramuscular dose of AZD7442 could play an important role in helping combat this devastating pandemic," said Hugh Montgomery, the trial's principal investigator.

Other antibody cocktail treatments for COVID-19 have shown varying degrees of success. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc'sREGN therapy showed 72% protection against symptomatic infection in the first week and 93% after that. 

GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK - Vir Biotechnology Inc's VIR showed a 79% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death due to any cause. Eli Lilly And Co's LLY therapy showed a 70% reduction in viral load at day seven compared to a placebo.

Price Action: AZN shares are up 0.58% at $60.96 during the market session on Monday's last check.

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