A monoclonal antibody being tested as a possible COVID-19 by Regeneron is headed into phase 2/3 trials.
Dubbed REGN-COV2, the treatment has now moved ahead of the pack of other monoclonal antibodies being tested against the coronavirus (although Eli Lilly’s candidate was the first to reach human trials).
According to Regeneron, the treatment combines an antibody from a recovered COVID-19 patient with an antibodies taken from mice that has a genetically engineered immune system. The treatment scored positive marks in its phase 1 trial of 30 patients and will now be tested on over 3,000 patients in the U.S. The goal of the studies will be to determine if REGN-COV2 can be used as a treatment for patients with the coronavirus, and help prevent further infections.
A separate trial of REGN-COV2 being arranged by Regeneron and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will also study if the treatment can help prevent infection in people who have been exposed to the virus.
Read the Wall Street Journal report.