AstraZeneca Antibody Cocktail Fails to Prevent COVID-19 in Large Trial

AstraZeneca Antibody Cocktail Fails to Prevent COVID-19 in Large Trial
A computer image showing a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, shared with Reuters on Feb. 18, 2020. NEXU Science Communication via Reuters
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AstraZeneca said on Tuesday a late-stage trial failed to provide evidence that its COVID-19 antibody therapy protected people who had contact with an infected person from the disease, a small setback in its efforts to find alternatives to vaccines.

The study assessed whether the therapy, a cocktail of two types of antibodies, could prevent adults who had been exposed to the virus in the past eight days from developing COVID-19 symptoms.