Different efficacies of neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, BA. 1 and BA. 2

H Ohashi, T Hishiki, D Akazawa, KS Kim, J Woo… - Antiviral Research, 2022 - Elsevier
H Ohashi, T Hishiki, D Akazawa, KS Kim, J Woo, K Shionoya, K Tsuchimoto, S Iwanami
Antiviral Research, 2022Elsevier
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariant
BA. 2 has spread in many countries, replacing the earlier Omicron subvariant BA. 1 and
other variants. Here, using a cell culture infection assay, we quantified the intrinsic sensitivity
of BA. 2 and BA. 1 compared with other variants of concern, Alpha, Gamma, and Delta, to
five approved-neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs. Our assay revealed the diverse
sensitivities of these variants to antibodies, including the loss of response of both BA. 1 and …
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariant BA.2 has spread in many countries, replacing the earlier Omicron subvariant BA.1 and other variants. Here, using a cell culture infection assay, we quantified the intrinsic sensitivity of BA.2 and BA.1 compared with other variants of concern, Alpha, Gamma, and Delta, to five approved-neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs. Our assay revealed the diverse sensitivities of these variants to antibodies, including the loss of response of both BA.1 and BA.2 to casirivimab and of BA.1 to imdevimab. In contrast, EIDD-1931 and nirmatrelvir showed a more conserved activities to these variants. The viral response profile combined with mathematical analysis estimated differences in antiviral effects among variants in the clinical concentrations. These analyses provide essential evidence that gives insight into variant emergence's impact on choosing optimal drug treatment.
Elsevier