6. First antibody combination therapy approved to treat COVID-19

On Dec 8, China approved the use of a monoclonal neutralizing antibody cocktail for COVID-19 treatment created by Brii Biosciences, making it the first antibody combination therapy against the disease to get the green light in the country.

The medicine - a combination of the amubarvimab and romlusevimab antibodies, previously known as BRII-196 and BRII-198, was jointly developed by Brii Biosciences, Tsinghua University, and the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

China's drug authority granted emergency approval for the antibody cocktail based on positive final and interim results from the phase 3 clinical trial with 847 enrolled outpatients sponsored by the United States National Institutes of Health. The final results showed the therapy has a good safety profile and can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by 80 percent. The study was conducted around the world, including in the US, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina and the Philippines.