Which Antibodies and Antivirals Work Well Against the BA.2 Omicron Variant

New research led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, D.V.M., Ph.D., a virologist at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tokyo, recently found antivirals and some anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies work well against the BA.2 omicron virus variant.

The antiviral therapies remdesivir, molnupiravir, and the active ingredient in Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) remain effective in laboratory tests against the BA.2 variant.

The BA.2 variant also remains susceptible to at least some anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies used to treat COVID-19, such as Evusheld.

As of February 2022, omicron variants were divided into four distinct sublineages: BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3.1.

"The bottom line is we have antibodies that appear to be more effective against BA. 2 compared with BA.1 or BA.1.1. So that's good news," commented Dr. Kawaoka in a press release. 

"We also tested clinically available antiviral compounds, and they are all highly efficacious."

"But we don't know whether what we found in the lab translates into clinical settings."

Previously, the U.S. NIH OpenData Portal published its virus effectiveness findings as of March 3, 2022.

Kawaoka and his collaborators at UW and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo published their findings in the peer-review New England Journal of Medicine on March 9, 2022.

Various sources funded this study. No industry conflicts of interest were disclosed. Study contact: Yoshihiro Kawaoka - [email protected].

Note: This news article aggregated and edited information from a press release, research study, and the NIH, and was curated to render a mobile user experience.