Two Covid-19 medicines, BRII-196 and BRII-198 have been given emergency approval by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
The emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has sparked reactions from health practitioners and regulators around the world have given the green light to treatments, particularly for high-risk groups.
According to NMPA, the two medicines are used in combination to treat adult and adolescent patients with mild and moderate symptoms and with severe risk factors for progression.
The organisation also revealed that the medicines are conditionally approved for adolescents, ranging from 12 to 17 years of age, with a body weight greater than 40 kg.
According to studies, vaccines manufactured in China have lower efficacy rates than those made overseas.
Tsinghua University, the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen and Brii Biosciences have jointly developed the cocktail therapy of monoclonal antibodies, which are derived from antibodies isolated from people who have recovered from COVID-19.
The drug authority said the treatment involves a combination of two drugs, administered through injections and can be used to treat certain cases that are at risk of progressing in severity.
This is China’s first approved COVID-19 virus-neutralising antibody combination therapy with independent intellectual property rights.