STOCKHOLM: AstraZeneca's new Covid prophylactic has been approved for use in Sweden. Sweden's Medical Products Agency recently approved Evusheld for prescription to people who have not established adequate resistance against Covid despite being vaccinated owing to underlying medical issues.

Cancer patients on cytotoxic medications, dialysis patients, organ transplant recipients on immunosuppressive medication, and people with disorders including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis will be able to get the treatment.

"Despite the availability of vaccines, thousands of people in Sweden have been unable to return to a more normal everyday life, and have been unable to meet relatives or participate in social events," said Anna-Lena Engwall, AstraZeneca's Country President Nordic and Sweden, in a recent press release.

The company claims, the medicine could help three million immunocompromised patients in the European Union alone. Evusheld comprises two antibodies that attach to the virus's spike protein, blocking it from entering cells and replicating. It is given as two intramuscular injections.

In a Phase III trial, the likelihood of acquiring Covid symptoms was reduced by 77%, with protection lasting at least six months. It's also effective against the highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron subvariant, which has emerged as the prevalent strain in many European nations, according to the company.

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