Regeneron's antibody cocktail was effective in preventing COVID-19 in recipients who had been exposed to people infected with the novel coronavirus during an ongoing late phase 3 trial, the drugmaker announced Jan. 26.
The drug induced a 100 percent reduction in symptomatic infection, as well as decreased overall infection rates by about half. The findings are based on preliminary analysis of a clinical trial run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease in which 400 participants were exposed to a household member with COVID-19.
The treatment is a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab, two antibodies that fight against COVID-19. The FDA granted it emergency use authorization Nov. 21, allowing the antibody cocktail, which is administered intravenously as a one-time treatment, to be used in COVID-19 patients age 12 and over who weigh at least 88 pounds and have a high risk of their case becoming severe.
The U.S. on Jan. 12 agreed to buy up to 1.25 million doses of the antibody drug in a deal worth up to $2.6 billion.
Regenron's announcement comes five days after Eli Lilly made a similar announcement about its antibody drug bamlanivimab, saying preliminary analysis showed it significantly reduced the risk of contracting symptomatic COVID-19 in residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
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