Durham biotech says its therapy ‘holds up well’against ‘Omicron’ in tests

DURHAM – Brii Biosciences says tests show its combination therapy is “active” against the emerging Omicron variant of COVID, saying it “holds up well.”

The company is seeking emergency use authorization for the treatment amubarvimab/romlusevimab.

“We believe the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination has the potential to be a best-in-class treatment option for a broad range of high risk COVID-19 patients. These latest findings underscore that our combination antibody therapy holds up well against the Omicron variant that pose a significant public health threat worldwide,” said Zhi Hong, Brii’s CEO.

“As experts around the world continue to track Omicron and other variants of concern, independent labs have demonstrated that our combination therapy will continue to provide clinical benefits for both patients who present early for treatment and those who present late for treatment. We look forward to continuing our work with the U.S. FDA and regulatory authorities around the world to bring our combination therapy to patients in need as quickly as possible,” he added.

In a statement, the company noted “there was substantial drop in activity for amubarvimab against the Omicron variant [but] romlusevimab was not impacted by the omicron variant.”

Earlier this year, Brii said it is pouring $100 million into its global efforts to win approval for a new treatment.

Brii which has operations in Durham as well as Beijing, announced its commitment to support a combination therapy called BRII-196/BRII-198.

The move comes after recent positive test results, according to the company, which launched in 2018.