The U.S. government has agreed to buy more doses of an antibody drug for the early treatment of Covid-19 developed by GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Vir Biotechnology Inc., bringing its total order to nearly $1 billion for a treatment found to reduce the risk of hospitalization.
Even as vaccination rates tick up, antibody drugs, which imitate part of the body’s natural immune response to the virus, have proven useful in fighting Covid-19 and preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed when cases surge.
