Biden's team plans 4 million doses of Covid treatments in January

The Biden administration expects to take delivery of 4 million courses of Covid-19 treatments by the end of January, according to officials familiar with the matter, sharply ramping up therapies for the disease as the Omicron variant spreads.

The treatments include a monoclonal antibody product, pre-exposure preventive drugs for immunocompromised people, and new antiviral pills awaiting Food and Drug Administration authorisation, the officials said.

The treatments will give doctors a larger arsenal to fight severe coronavirus as the US endures another surge in cases driven by Omicron. The administration has sought to buy a variety of FDA-authorised therapeutics to ensure a mix of effective treatments, part of what the administration is calling its “medicine cabinet,” the officials said. The FDA earlier this month authorised AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a pre-exposure prevention treatment for the immunocompromised.