Gyeonggi Province Begins Distributing Evusheld to Immunocompromised Residents in COVID-19 Blind Spot

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] In preparation for a potential resurgence of COVID-19, Gyeonggi Province is beginning distribution of 'Evusheld,' a preventive monoclonal antibody therapeutic for COVID-19, this month.

Preventive monoclonal antibody therapeutics are antibody treatments administered before COVID-19 infection for preventive purposes.

The medication provides preventive effects by directly administering antibodies to individuals such as blood cancer patients or organ transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, who have difficulty acquiring immunity through COVID-19 vaccination.

Target recipients for Evusheld include ▲adults and children (ages 12 and older, weighing 40kg or more) who have difficulty developing antibodies after vaccination due to immunosuppressive treatment ▲blood cancer patients and organ transplant recipients ▲patients with similar congenital immunodeficiency disorders.

To administer the preventive monoclonal antibody therapeutic, the patient's primary healthcare provider must determine eligibility and submit an application through the COVID-19 Vaccination Management System.

Upon completion of the application, the relevant public health center confirms that the eligible patient has no history of COVID-19 infection, then applies to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) for medication allocation.

The KDCA then directly ships the medication to the designated treatment facility, after which administration takes place.

Gyeonggi Province designated 32 hospital-level and higher medical institutions within the province, including Ajou University Hospital, as Evusheld treatment facilities on the 1st.

Jo Chang-beom, director of the Disease Policy Division at Gyeonggi Province, stated: "With the introduction of Evusheld, we expect to protect severely immunocompromised individuals who have until now remained in a vaccination blind spot despite being in high-risk groups from infection. Additionally, in preparation for a potential COVID-19 resurgence, we urge vulnerable populations such as the elderly to actively participate in fourth-dose vaccination."

Evusheld is a therapeutic combining two types of COVID-19 virus antibodies.

Clinical trial results confirmed viral neutralizing activity against not only existing COVID-19 variants and the Omicron variant, but also against Omicron subvariants 'BA.4' and 'BA.5,' which are rapidly increasing after being imported from abroad and may become new dominant strains.

Previously, the government granted emergency use authorization for 'Evusheld,' a preventive antibody therapeutic for COVID-19 developed by AstraZeneca, on the 30th of last month.