Regeneron Antibody Drug Temporarily Protects Against Covid-19, Preliminary Data Show

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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its antibody drug reduced coronavirus infections by half in people at high risk, a preliminary sign the therapy could be given to temporarily prevent Covid-19. None of the patients receiving the drug developed symptoms from the virus, Regeneron said Tuesday, providing an interim analysis of a continuing study.

Given the drug’s performance, Regeneron said it would discuss the possibility of authorizing the drug as a temporary vaccine with U.S. regulators. Complete trial data from the study is expected early in the second quarter, the company said. Regeneron’s data indicate that antibody-based drugs could help provide temporary protection against Covid-19 as the U.S. and other countries grapple with limited supplies of vaccines. The drugs are thought to provide protection for at least one month. Eli Lilly & Co. said last week that its antibody drug also prevented many infections in a study of nursing-home patients.

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The Regeneron drug is easier to use to prevent new infections because it can be given as a shot rather than an hourlong infusion. Antibody drugs are lab-made molecules that mimic the natural antibodies created by the immune system to fight off viruses.

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The data released by Regeneron on Tuesday was from a study of people at high risk of infection because they shared a household with someone exposed to the virus. The analysis included about 400 of the 2,000 people enrolled in the study. Regeneron issued the data in a press release, and the findings haven’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Among patients who received Regeneron’s drug, 5.4% tested positive for Covid-19, compared with 10.3% of those who received placebos. None of the people taking the drug developed symptoms from the virus, compared with about 3.6% of people receiving placebos, Regeneron said. The average age of patients in the study was 43, and about half were Hispanic and 13% were Black.

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Separately, Lilly said injecting a combination of two of its antibodies into infected patients with early symptoms of Covid-19 reduced their risk of dying or being hospitalized by 70% in a late-stage, or Phase 3, clinical trial.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/regeneron-antibody-drug-temporarily-protects-against-covid-19-preliminary-data-show-11611676188 (subscription)