{"id":48972,"date":"2022-02-14T15:15:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T20:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=48972"},"modified":"2022-04-06T10:23:37","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:23:37","slug":"evusheld-covid-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/evusheld-covid-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about Evusheld"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As experts learn more about the novel coronavirus, news and information changes. For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the<\/span><\/i> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Evusheld, a COVID-19 prevention medication manufactured by AstraZeneca, received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the <\/span>U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/span><\/a> (FDA) on Dec. 8, 2021. It is not intended to replace a <\/span>COVID-19 vaccine series<\/span><\/a> for anyone who is eligible. It is a protective option for those who cannot receive the COVID vaccine or who may not mount an adequate immune response to the vaccine\u2014specifically those with a history of severe adverse reactions or allergic reaction to vaccines or those who are immunocompromised due to medication or a medical condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Evusheld?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Evusheld is a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) that are co-packaged and administered together. It\u2019s the first monoclonal antibody therapy intended to work as a pre-exposure prophylaxis for people who are not yet infected with COVID-19. \u201cThe previous monoclonal antibodies, (bamlanivimab and etesevimab, <\/span>REGEN-COV<\/span><\/a> [casirivimab and imdevimab], and <\/span>sotrovimab<\/span><\/a>), were authorized for \u2026 treatment of COVID-19,\u201d says <\/span>Javeed Siddiqui,<\/span><\/a> MD, MPH, the co-founder and chief medical officer at TeleMed2U in California. Bamlanivimab\u00a0 and etesvimab, and REGEN-COV, also held EUAs for post-exposure prophylaxis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Monoclonal antibodies<\/span><\/a> (mAbs) are laboratory-produced molecules that restore, improve, or replicate the immune system\u2019s defenses against pathogens.<\/span> Evusheld works by targeting the <\/span>surface spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus<\/span><\/a>, thereby preventing it from interacting with the human ACE2 receptor, which is required for virus attachment and incorporation into human cells.<\/span><\/p>\n

So far, the combination monoclonal preventive treatment appears to be effective against all known variants of the novel coronavirus\u2014including Delta and Omicron variants, although the <\/span>neutralizing activity is decreased against Omicron<\/span><\/a>. \u201cAfter receiving Evusheld, if you do test positive for COVID, the prevailing thought is that your immune system is primed and much more prepared to fight a COVID-19 infection,\u201d says <\/span>Robert Glatter, MD<\/span><\/a>, an emergency medicine physician at <\/span>Lenox Hill Hospital<\/span><\/a> in New York. \u201cIf you do get infected, you will likely have a mild infection or may even be asymptomatic.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>What are monoclonal antibodies?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Dosage<\/span><\/h3>\n

The recommended dosage of Evusheld is 150 mg of tixagevimab and 150 mg of cilgavimab. \u201cEach antibody should be administered as intramuscular injections at separate sites on the body,\u201d says Dr. Siddiqui. The gluteal muscles are the preferred sites of injection, and patients should be monitored for a minimum of one hour after the pair of shots are given. Evusheld can be administered to the same patient once every six months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Evusheld is authorized for use in adults and adolescents over 12 years of age who weigh a minimum of 88 pounds. It is meant to be administered before exposure to or infection with COVID-19 and can be given in an outpatient setting. \u201cThe antibodies should not be used for treatment or post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19, or within two weeks after administration of a COVID-19 vaccine,\u201d Dr. Siddiqui says. However, an antibody test is not required before receiving Evusheld.<\/span><\/p>\n

Side effects<\/span><\/h3>\n

In <\/span>clinical trials<\/span><\/a> of tixagevimab and of cilgavimab<\/span>, <\/span>35% of those who received the drug experienced mild to moderate adverse reactions, similar to the amount of those in the placebo group. The most common side-effects reported were:<\/span><\/p>\n