Monoclonal antibodies have been effective in neutralizing the viral strains, but with the emergence of mutated strains, these antibodies are no longer found effective.
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), monoclonal antibodies were found to be poorly effective on Omicron strains BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, and XBB. The report says, previously, these antibodies have eliminated the hospitalization and death risk by up to 80 percent, but unfortunately, they have lost their edge with the emergence of newer mutations in the virus.
In September 2022, WHO recommended avoiding using Xevudy and Ronapreve monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID patients as they are found ineffective on current COVID variants. The EU agency further stated that Pfizer’s Paxlovid is an effective antiviral treatment that can be stocked for future outbreaks.