COVID-19
COVID-19iStock

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday gave an emergency use authorization to Sotrovimab, the antibody treatment developed by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in people aged 12 years and older, Reuters reports.

Sotrovimab is not authorized for patients who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 or require oxygen therapy, the FDA clarified.

It belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which mimic natural antibodies that the body generates to fight off infection.

The antibody treatment will be available for COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks, GSK and Vir said.

In February, the FDA granted emergency use authorization to a similar therapy developed by Eli Lilly.

The FDA previously granted emergency authorization to a therapy developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

Former US President Donald Trump was given the Regeneron antibody treatment when he developed COVID-19.

After he was released from hospital where he was treated for his bout with COVID-19, Trump published a video message in which he praised the Regeneron antibody cocktail and said he would work to get Regeneron and similar drugs available to everyone.