Australia secures COVID-19 treatment

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Australia secures COVID-19 treatment from October: Health Minister Greg Hunt

Australia has secured two new treatments to support its COVID-19 response, with some doses to be available at the end of October, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced.

Crystal Wu
Digital Reporter

What is Ronapreve?

Ronapreve is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies - casirivimab and imdevimab.

The drug is administered either by injection or infusion, and can be given to people already showing symptoms or those who have been exposed to someone with the virus.

It is designed to block infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. The two monoclonal antibodies bind to two different sites of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and flag the virus as 'foreign', prompting the body's immune response.

Ronapreve was approved in the UK last month to support the NHS's "most vulnerable" hospital patients.

It was also used as part of a raft of experimental medicines given to US President Donald Trump.

The antibody drug has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by up to 70 per cent in patients with confirmed COVID-19.

skynews.com.au2:09