Antibody treatment believed to be effective against Omicron variant coming to Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- One thousand antibody treatments that are believed to be effective against the COVID-19 Omicron variant will be headed to Colorado this week, according to our news partners at 9News in Denver.

The Delta variant is still the most common COVID-19 strain in Colorado, but health officials anticipate in the coming weeks that Omicron will be the dominant strain in Colorado and across the country.

On Dec. 16, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said its antibody treatment has "diminished potency" against omicron, but reported the treatment is active against the predominant delta strain.

"I don't think that is something individuals need to be concerned about and especially not yet," said Dr. Michelle Barron, an infectious disease expert at UCHealth told 9News.

Barron said drugmakers have faced this challenge before during the pandemic with other strains of COVID-19.

"Bamlanivimab actually turned out to not be effective against delta, but they found a combination of it with another drug actually worked fine," she said.

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline reported earlier this month that its monoclonal antibody treatment, Sotrovimab, worked against all variants of concern.

The supply of the treatment is very limited in the United States -- 55,000 doses are expected to be sent across the country by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Shipments are anticipated to arrive as early as Tuesday.

"I think the reason some of the supply is limited right now is because the U.S. government has been stockpiling it," Barron said. "I think that is being very conscious about the fact that we may need it."

We're working on getting information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment about locations in southern Colorado that may receive shipments of Sotrovimab.