Novartis originally teamed up with Molecular Partners in October 2020, when there were no vaccines and few treatment options for the new coronavirus. The picture today looks quite different, with vaccines widely available and a growing array of medications that include pills from Pfizer and Merck & Co.
Still, Novartis maintains that ensovibep offers intriguing possibilities. In discussions with the company, FDA officials were “excited about the concept” of a one-time injection for COVID-19, Narasimhan told investors. Manufacturing could be scaled up relatively quickly, according to Novartis, and the drug has also maintained its potency against all major variants of the virus, including omicron.
