Loss of Neutralizing Activity of Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab (Evusheld™) Against Omicron BN.1, a Dominant Circulating Strain Following BA.5During the Seventh Domestic Outbreak in Korea in Early 2023
10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e205
- Author:
Jinyoung YANG
1
;
Seokhwan HYEON
;
Jin Yang BAEK
;
Min Seo KANG
;
Keon Young LEE
;
Young Ho LEE
;
Kyungmin HUH
;
Sun Young CHO
;
Cheol-In KANG
;
Doo Ryeon CHUNG
;
Kyong Ran PECK
;
Gunho WON
;
Hye Won LEE
;
Kwangwook KIM
;
Insu HWANG
;
So Yeon LEE
;
Byung Chul KIM
;
Yoo-kyoung LEE
;
Jae-Hoon KO
Author Information
1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:Brief Communication
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2023;38(27):e205-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Tixagevimab/cilgavimab is a monoclonal antibody used to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 among immunocompromised hosts and maintained neutralizing activity against early omicron variants. Omicron BN.1 became a dominant circulating strain in Korea early 2023, but its susceptibility to tixagevimab/cilgavimab is unclear. We conducted plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) against BN.1 in a prospective cohort (14 patients and 30 specimens). BN.1 PRNT was conducted for one- and three-months after tixagevimab/ cilgavimab administration and the average PRNT ND 50 of each point was lower than the positive cut-off value of 20 (12.9 ± 4.5 and 13.2 ± 4.2, respectively, P = 0.825). In the paired analyses, tixagevimab/cilgavimab-administered sera could not actively neutralize BN.1 (PRNT ND 50 11.5 ± 2.9, P = 0.001), compared with the reserved activity against BA.5 (ND 50 310.5 ± 180.4). Unlike virus-like particle assay, tixagevimab/cilgavimab was not active against BN.1 in neutralizing assay, and would not be effective in the present predominance of BA.2.75 sublineages.
