Italy approves GSK-Vir antibody to treat COVID-19

MILAN, July 13 (Reuters) - Italy approved the temporary
distribution of a coronavirus antibody treatment by Britain's
GlaxoSmithKline and U.S. company Vir Biotechnology
, the health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The therapy, named Sotrovimab, can be distributed until Jan.
31, 2022, it said, adding the authorisations for all the other
monoclonal treatments already in use in the country had also
been extended to the same date.

Antibody treatments are designed to decrease the severity of
COVID-19 among patients diagnosed with the infection.

Rome has approved monoclonal antibody therapies from Eli
Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

At the end of May, the European Union's drug regulator
backed the use of Sotrovimab to treat patients who are at risk
of severe disease and do not need supplemental oxygen above the
age of 12.

It is up to individual member states to decide whether to
use it.

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi
Editing by Chris Reese)