JERUSALEM – The Israeli Ministry of Health on Tuesday approved the administration of AstraZeneca’s Evusheld COVID-19 drug to people with weakened immune systems.

The antibody drug, which includes two injections of two types of long-acting antibodies given at the same time, is only authorized for those who are not currently infected or have not recently been exposed to an individual infected with the virus.

The antibodies bind to the spike protein of the virus and neutralize the entry of the virus into the human cells, thus reducing the risk of developing a symptomatic disease, the ministry noted.

The drug has been shown to reduce severe morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 disease by 83 percent, it added.

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In early December 2021, the treatment received an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in certain adults and pediatric individuals with weakened immune systems or with a history of severe adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine.