Topics Covered: Issues related to Health.
Experimental drug given to Trump to treat covid-19 wins FDA clearance:
Context:
Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency authorization to the experimental antibody treatment given to President Trump last month when he developed covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
About the drug:
- The drug is made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
- It is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies, called casirivimab and imdevimab.
- It is designed to prevent infected people from developing severe illness.
- Instead of waiting for the body to develop its own protective immune response, the drug imitates the body’s natural defenses.
- It is the second drug of this type — called a monoclonal antibody — to be cleared for treating covid-19.
What are monoclonal antibodies?
- Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to attack the virus.
- They are man-made proteins.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- What are antibodies?
- What are antigens?
- How immunity system works in our body?
- What are mAbs?
- What are Polyclonal antibodies?
Mains Link:
What are monoclonal antibodies? How do they work? Discuss.
Sources: the Hindu.