LONDON: AstraZeneca started late-stage trials on Saturday of an experimental long-acting monoclonal antibody combination drug it hopes could be used as a so-called prophylactic to prevent COVID-19 infection in at-risk people for up to 12 months. The Phase III international clinical trial will recruit a total of 5,000 people across countries in Europe and the United States to assess the safety and effectiveness of the antibody cocktail, known as AZD7442. The prophylactic treatment differs from a vaccine in that it introduces antibodies, rather than prompting the body’s immune system to make them. It may prove useful in people whose immune systems are weaker or compromised, and who don’t respond to vaccination. Separately, AstraZeneca is developing a COVID-19 vaccine in conjunction with researchers at Oxford University. In Britain, where the trials of the monoclonal antibody combination kicked off on Saturday, 1,000 participants will be recruited at nine sites, researchers leading th...
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to bring an ordinance for pronouncing strict punishments to the rape convicts, ARY News reported on Saturday. The decision was taken in a session of the government’s legal team which was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan where he was given a briefing over the legal procedures to pronounce penalties to the rapists and regulations for the protection of witnesses. While addressing the session, PM Imran Khan said that the authorities will have to bring up a plan for curbing rape incidents and any delay in its legislation will be disastrous for the country. Sources told ARY News that PM Khan refused to give more time to the legal team for the lawmaking. He directed the legal team to work day and night to finalise the legislation. Read: Government to establish sex offenders’ database: PM Imran Khan The premier said that justice must be provided to the victims through the speedy trial of rape cases. The meeting was attended by Federal Mi...