Britain's drug regulator on Thursday approved GSK and Vir Biotechnology's antibody based Covid-19 treatment, Xevudy, for people with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.

The approval comes as GSK said that a pre-clinical analysis of the antibody-based Covid-19 therapy it is developing with its US partner has indicated that the drug also works against the new Omicron variant.

Further tests will be carried out on the sotrovimab therapy to firm up the results, GSK said in a statement. – Reuters