RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced today, January 10, positive results in Phase 2 trials of a new antiviral treatment against COVID-19 “capable of neutralizing all variants” of the coronavirus, including omicron.
The treatment, called “ensovibep”, is based on DARPin technology, which uses genetically engineered proteins specially designed to neutralize the virus.
The trials were carried out in patients with acute cases of COVID-19, treated in health centers but without the need for hospitalization, the Basel-based firm said in a statement.
The patients managed to reduce the viral load in their bodies in just over a week, while hospitalizations, emergency treatments, and deaths were reduced by 78%.
Some 400 patients took part in the trials, a number that will be increased to more than 2,000 in the third phase.
With information from EFE