British regulators have approved a GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat those at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms, with the manufacturer saying it appears effective against the new Omicron variant.

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, “was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate Covid-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease,” said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Preclinical data showed that the drug “retains activity against key mutations of the new Omicron Sars-CoV-2 variant,” GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said in a statement.