Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. RAIN,
said late Tuesday that the U.S. government has agreed to buy an additional dose of 1.25 million of the COVID-19 antibody doll. This will bring the US stock of the cocktail, consisting of casirivimab and imdevimab antibodies, to more than 1.5 million doses. Under the new agreement, the government will buy all completed doses of the cocktail delivered by June 30. Regeneron is already delivering doses for the treatment of about 300,000 people, with President Donald Trump receiving the treatment when he fell ill with COVID-19 last year. “COVID-19 continues to hurt hundreds of thousands of Americans every day and the people of Regeneron are committed to helping,” CEO Leonard S. Schleifer said in a statement. “We are delighted to partner with the U.S. government to provide our antibody cocktail as an important weapon in this fight.” ‘Patients who received the cocktail in clinical trials experienced a significant reduction in virus levels and required fewer medical visits for COVID-19, suggesting that treatment may reduce the current burden on hospitals and healthcare systems,’ the company said. The company is still being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in and out of hospitals, including a trial for the prevention of COVID-19 in contact with infected people in households. Shares of Regeneron rose nearly 5% in the extended session after the usual trading day rose 0.6%.
