Pharmaceutical products said Tuesday that the antibody tip is effective in preventing Covid-19 in people exposed to those infected with the new coronavirus, based on interim results from a late-stage study.
The two-antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, resulted in a 100 percent reduction in symptomatic infection and about 50 percent lower overall infection rates, based on an analysis of about 400 participants in a trial that a domestic member with Covid- 19 had.
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Regeneron said he would discuss the interim results with U.S. health regulators to possibly extend the current authorization for the use of the antibody cocktail (EUA). Full details of the trial are expected early in the second quarter.
In November, the US Food and Drug Administration granted EUA the antibody cocktail for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults and children.
The current trial tested REGEN-COV for use as a passive vaccine, which directly involves the delivery of antibodies against viruses into the body, unlike traditional vaccines in which the recipient’s immune system is activated to develop its own antibodies.
REGEN-COV could potentially provide immediate passive immunity to those at high risk of infection, as opposed to active vaccines that take weeks to provide protection, the company said.
“This data using REGEN-COV as a passive vaccine suggests that it may reduce the transmission of the virus as well as reduce the viral and disease burden in those who are still infected,” said George Yancopoulos, president and scientific chief of Regeneron, said.
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The drug manufacturer also expects REGEN-COV to help people who respond poorly to vaccination.
During the trial, conducted jointly by Regeneron and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one death and a Covid-19-related hospitalization were reported among those receiving placebo, but there was no such incident in the treatment group. , the company said.
REGEN-COV is also being studied in two patient trials admitted to the hospital in the late stages, and in the late stages for the treatment of patients not admitted to the hospital.
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