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Dr Averyan Vasylyev came to his colleagues at GlaxoSmithKline’s Gulf office in March with exciting news: early data showed the drugmaker’s new Covid-19 treatment, Sotrovimab, was making encouraging progress in medical trials.
“Guys, I think we’ve got to talk about this, this looks like something very exciting here,” one of his colleagues recalled him saying.
Three months after what GSK staff recalled as a “lights-went-on moment”, the UAE became the first country to receive a shipment of the drug, after it proved to be highly effective at limiting severe illness.
Trial data showed it reduced the risk of prolonged hospital treatment or death by 85 per cent, compared to a dummy treatment.
Dr Vasylyev, GSK’s medical affairs director in the Gulf, believes the drug is a durable product that will withstand future mutations of the virus.
“We have all those variants of interests and variants of concern, and Sotrovimab is attaching to the place where those variants are not happening,” he told The National.
“So basically, Sotrovimab is going to last for some time. From a medical point of view, it’s like a perfect medicine.”
In a relay race involving regulators, doctors and health officials across the Gulf, Sotrovimab was quickly made available to clinicians.
Space was cleared on an Etihad Airways aircraft so that the life-saving cargo could be shipped to the UAE.
UAE authorities announced this month that the drug had led to the recovery of 97 per cent of patients over a two-week period.
Sotrovimab, a laboratory-made antibody that mimics those produced by the immune system, is delivered into a patient’s veins by clinicians.
Britain's GSK teamed up with US company Vir Biotechnology to develop the treatment, as well as researching potential vaccines against Covid-19. Trials for Sotrovimab began last year.
Scientists gave the drug to volunteers in the US, Canada, Brazil and Spain to and studied its effect on virus variants in labs.
The breakthrough came in March when experts reading the data announced that no further volunteers were needed because evidence of the drug's effectiveness was stacking up.
It was authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration in May and the EU this month placed an order for up to 220,000 doses.
GSK experts have since received calls from other countries such as Australia asking for advice in deploying the drug.
Medical experts provide training to doctors on who is eligible to receive Sotrovimab and how to make sure they get it at the earliest opportunity. High demand for the product means the company has had to rewrite its supply schedule.
It’s not just the vaccine that will help us to go out and combat Covid-19
Averyan Vasylyev
“We’ve all been in a type of hyperdrive for the last four to five months,” said Jeffrey Kemprecos, GSK’s head of government affairs in the Gulf.
“It’s just been very exciting for us. It’s re-energised us, because we know that this is making a difference for thousands of patients across the Gulf.”
Mr Kemprecos praised the UAE and Bahrain for their efforts in collecting patient data while deploying the drug.
He described a close collaboration between the drugmaker and health authorities as the product was brought to market.
“The policymakers were very quick up and down the Gulf, but led by the UAE, in saying we are interested,” he said.
“We were really amazed at the alacrity, the speed – everything was expedited when it came to Covid-19 and the national response.
“I’ve never seen an effort anything like it, where in a very compressed eight-week period, we were briefing medical teams up and down the Gulf.”
Canada last week became the latest country to approve the drug, after the EU's procurement deal opened the door to 18 European countries making use of the product.
Treatments such as Sotrovimab "will play a pivotal role in Europe's return to a new normal," EU health chief Stella Kyriakides said.
A vaccine candidate made by GSK and French company Sanofi showed disappointing results in a first set of trials. Results from subsequent tests were more encouraging, and a Phase III trial is ongoing.
Along with Sotrovimab, other therapeutic treatments include remdesivir, an anti-viral drug developed by US company Gilead.
GSK scientists hope to develop Sotrovimab so that it can be injected into a patient’s muscles instead of the intravenous method, which requires the drug to be administered over the space of an hour.
Dr Vasylyev said it was important to develop treatments for Covid patients in addition to preventive vaccines, because not everybody could be immunised.
“It’s not just the vaccine that will help us to go out and combat Covid-19,” he said. “We have to have a full arsenal.”
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
