Biden officials scramble for a backup as Covid variants threaten a key therapy for immunocompromised people
WASHINGTON — Biden health officials are bracing for the prospect that the country’s sole preventive Covid-19 treatment for immunocompromised people could be ineffective this winter.
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, the only monoclonal antibody authorized as a periodic injection to prevent infection, has become an essential shot for roughly 17,000 Americans with weakened immune systems. But news this month that it is not effective against a steadily climbing coronavirus strain sent health officials racing to game out other antibody options and convene a meeting with patient groups.
