The investigational long-acting antibody therapy called sipavibart showed a “statistically significant reduction” in symptomatic COVID-19 cases in an immunocompromised patient population, the company said.

AstraZeneca withdrew its COVID-19 vaccine last week, citing a “surplus of available updated vaccines” since the pandemic.

Immunocompromised patients include those with blood cancer, organ transplant recipients, patients with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, patients receiving B-cell depleting therapy within the past year, and those taking immunosuppressive medications, the company noted.

These patients make up about 25% of COVID-19 hospitalisations, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, and deaths, even after multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker.