On Nov. 17, 2021, GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology announced U.S. government contracts totalling approximately $1 billion (USD) to purchase sotrovimab, an investigational monoclonal antibody for the early treatment of COVID-19, which the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in May 2021. GSK agreed to supply these doses to the US government by December 17, 2021, enabling further expanded nationwide access to sotrovimab for patients.