From a press release published on Tuesday, it appears that a combination of a monoclonal antibody cocktail produced by Regeneron and Roche reduces hospitalization or mortality in COVID-19 patients. The combination therapy, called REGEN-COV, is being evaluated in a phase 3 study in which COVID-19 high-risk patients were non-hospitalized.
REGEN-COV consists of casirivimab with imdevimab, and has already received FDA approval for emergencies in the US. Under the current EUA, combination therapy has been approved for the treatment of non-hospitalized adults and adolescents with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 and who are at high risk of developing severe symptoms or requiring hospitalization.
The current dose is 1,200 mg casirivimab and 1,200 mg imdevimab co-administered as a single infusion within ten days of the onset of symptoms.
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The press release, published by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., also noted that treatment reduced symptom duration and that a concomitant phase 2 trial reduction for viral load was reduced in patients receiving low-dose REGEN-COV. The trial showed that patients were given 300 mg intravenously and 600 mg subcutaneously, with researchers noting that the reduction during the first seven days was comparable to those given the doses of 2,400 mg and 1200 mg intravenously.
REGEN-COV consists of casirivimab and imdevimab, and has already received FDA authorization in the US
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“With approximately 60,000 newly diagnosed individuals in the U.S. each day and 40,000 still in hospital due to COVID-19, we are committed to working with government, healthcare providers and others to ensure rapid and widespread acceptance of RAIN -COV to support patients, “said George D. Yancopoulos, MD, Ph.D., Regeneron’s president and chief scientist, in the press release. “We will discuss the new data quickly with the regulatory authorities and request that the 1,200 mg dose be added to the U.S. emergency permits so that the expected RAIN COV inventory is available to treat even more patients.”
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The company said there are ongoing trials involving REGEN-COV, including one in the UK studying the impact on hospital patients. Another is evaluating the prevention of COVID-19 in household contacts of infected individuals.