Regeneron antibody cocktail emerges as potential alternative to vaccines

Despite the widespread distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout much of the world, there are still gaps in vaccine coverage — in particular, for immunocompromised patients and those who don’t develop an adequate response to the shots. Now, a Regeneron’s prophylactic could shape up to be a viable alternative. 

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals reported this week that one dose of its antibody cocktail was 81.6% effective at preventing COVID-19 infections up to eight months after being administered. 

The positive readout comes from an eight-month phase 3, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the drug, dubbed REGEN-COV, which included results from 1,683 participants. For the study, Regeneron used volunteers who lived in the same household as someone who was diagnosed with the coronavirus within the prior four days. 

The company said that during the study, none of the patients in the trial who took REGEN-COV were hospitalized for COVID-19 — as opposed to six patients in the placebo arm who were. 

REGEN-COV has already been granted at EUA for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for developing a severe case of the illness. In August, the FDA expanded the EUA to include its use as a preventative medication for patients 12 and over who have been exposed to COVID-19 and are at a high risk of becoming seriously ill. The agency has not yet approved REGEN-COV as a general substitute for vaccines.