Vir and GSK Stop Enrollment for COVID-19 Antibody Arm of NIH-Led Study

Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced that they will stop enrolling participants in a U.S. trial arm evaluating their COVID-19 antibody treatment, VIR-7831, which is part of a larger phase 3 study assessing potential coronavirus therapeutics being conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The drugmakers said they made the decision after the trial’s independent safety and monitoring board found current data didn’t offer a clear picture of what clinical benefit the antibody would provide.

“While we are disappointed with the recommendation … We are encouraged by the safety profile of VIR-7831 and by the possibility of a benefit on top of remdesivir and corticosteroids in this advanced cohort of patients,” said Vir Biotechnology CEO George Scangos.