EU regulator advises AstraZeneca’s COVID drug be cleared

LONDON (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator says it’s recommending that an antibody drug developed by AstraZeneca be authorized to help people avoid getting sick with the coronavirus. The European Medicines Agency said Thursday it was advising that the new drug which is sold as Evusheld be used in people age 12 and over before they were exposed to COVID-19 to prevent future infections. The drug was previously cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December for people with serious health problems or allergies who can’t get adequate protection from vaccination. The AstraZeneca antibody drug is the first intended for long-term prevention against COVID-19 infection rather than a short-term treatment.