Health Canada approved AstraZeneca’s Evusheld antibody mix, which was already approved as a COVID-19 prevention tool, on October 19 as a remedy for the virus.
A spokesperson for Alberta Health Services told Global News on Tuesday that the province is “waiting for the Canadian Medicines and Health Technologies Agency’s remedy rules, which deserve to be available before the end of the month, before making a decision on the use of the remedy. ” of COVID-19 with Evusheld.
AHS spokesman Kerry Williamson said Evusheld is available lately in Alberta for COVID-19 prevention. In terms of remedy options, he said Albertans have lately access to Paxlovid and remdesivir, “which are used for the same indication for which Evusheld has just been approved. “
To date, Alberta has administered about 1581 doses of Evusheld and has “a healthy remnant,” Williamson said.
AstraZeneca Canada said Evusheld, a combination of long-acting antibodies, obtained a Notice of Compliance from Health Canada to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in others 12 years of age and older.
Evusheld was approved in April for the prevention of COVID-19 in immunocompromised people, such as mobile organ and stem transplant recipients and chemotherapy patients. The injectable drug prevents infection by offering antibodies that a vulnerable user might not be able to produce on their own vaccination.
Alberta Health Services has been providing the drug, in its preventative form, since May through cellular units. AHS ACESO Medical will drive special patient vans in Alberta.
Dr. Jia Hu, a public fitness physician, says the more for COVID-19 prevention and treatment, the better.
He said some of the features we’ve had lately may have drug interactions that would save some Alberta patients from them.
“It’s wonderful that we also have this one (Evusheld) for treatment,” Hu said. “I think it’s also wonderful that we have all those bivalent vaccines.
“So whether it’s a bivalent vaccine for prevention, or Evusheld for prevention, or Paxlovid or Evusheld for treatment, we’re crazier out. We just want people, doctors, to come forward.
Hu said Health Canada regularly approves a drug for a specific use first, and then determines how they should do it and for whom.
He said adoption of preventive Evusheld is still low in Canada.
“I think a lot of other people just aren’t aware of it, adding patients and doctors,” Hu said.
“As for the remedy indication for Evusheld, it is still quite early. Provinces and territories are in the process of figuring out who to give it to.
So far, the main remedy for curing COVID-19 has been Paxlovid, he added, which is administered orally and works quite well.
“But the absorption of that isn’t very high either. . . I think it’s kind of a symptom of increased COVID-related fatigue,” Hu said.
“People are very tired of vaccines, which is unfortunate. We have all these wonderful bivalent vaccines that are coming out, which we think are more wonderful than the original vaccines. “
“But if you take a look at the vaccination rate, our number one series, Canada, hit about 90%, and then for that first booster (it was) like 50% and, at the moment, it’s like 15%.
“I think other people are fed up with COVID, I think other people are less involved in COVID being so bad now that so many other people have caught it. But as we approach the fall and winter season, we’re definitely going to see a backlog of cases. We’re definitely not going to close either, which I think is smart and appropriate; That kind of thing can be harmful.
“Right now, whether it’s Paxlovid or Evusheld or vaccines, whatever you mean, they’ve given us the opportunity to live with COVID, essentially, and live with COVID in a way that very few people want to die, very few others people want to be hospitalized.
“But for any of those things to work, we want other people to take them. “
Hu said Alberta has done a smart job of making vaccines and other features to save it and treat COVID-19.
“I wouldn’t say our challenge right now is distribution, of course you can improve that, I think our challenge right now is adoption, awareness, desire. “