The Covid-19 evolutionary mechanism makes it a moving target due to its fast changes. So it is with disease therapies, which can suddenly become fashionable or obsolete. Regeneron’s REGEN-COV antibody cocktail is a good example of the former. Almost every advancement in the Covid-19 antibody market in the previous several months has favoured the treatment, a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab.The FDA approved REGEN-COV for emergency use on Friday as a prophylactic strategy for those who have been exposed to Covid-19 and are at high risk of developing a severe illness because they haven’t been fully vaccinated or aren’t likely to produce a sufficient antibody response to immunisation.
According to Regeneron, about 3% of the US population will not respond fully to Covid-19 vaccinations, including chemotherapy patients, persons with hematologic malignancies, and others. The FDA made its decision based on the results of a phase 3 trial conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, which showed that REGEN-COV reduced the probability of getting symptomatic Covid-19 by 81 percent among healthy people living with an infected person.
While it takes time for vaccine recipients to develop an adequate antibody response, especially with a two-shot regimen, direct antibody injections can provide more rapid protection. In November, the FDA approved REGEN-COV for individuals with newly diagnosed Covid-19 who are at a high risk of developing severe disease. Regeneron’s medicine has since received FDA approval for a subcutaneous injection and a lower dose.
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