Regeneron's COVID-19 antibody cocktail helped reduce the number of deaths in severe cases by 20%. The worst-case happens when the immune systems of the patients struggle to fight the virus.
HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 10: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Medical staff members treat a patient suffering from coronavirus in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) on November 10, 2020 in Houston, Texas. According to reports, COVID-19 infections are on the rise in Houston, as the state of Texas has reached over 1,030,000 cases, including over 19,000 deaths.
The death toll of COVID-19 worldwide has reached a total of 3,823,206, as per Bloomberg.
The whopping numbers are due to the absence or lack of antibodies in some people stricken by the novel coronavirus. Ideally, the protection from the virus should be swift, but some victims could not keep up with the virus. Thus, it leads to severe cases, which require ventilators and thorough medical care.
The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals drug produces antibodies for COVID-19 patients who could not. In turn, it helps in preventing some patients to succumb to the wrath of the virus.
Additionally, the drug also shortens the length of hospitalization without a ventilator, which cuts the hospital stay of severe cases. It lessens the suffering that patients experience.
Antibody Therapy
Reuters reported that the cocktail drug is used in an antibody therapy called REGEN-COV.
A large study from the United Kingdom saw six fewer deaths for every 100 patients in 28 days as long as they receive the imdevimab and casirivimab antibodies from the cocktail.
On the other hand, patients with existing antibodies did not see any benefit after the therapy. So, it turns out that the treatment is only effective for those who lack the COVID-19 natural protection.
The current data is the largest-scale study for the antibody cocktail of Regeneron. A total of 9,785 hospitalized COVID-19 patients received either the therapy or the typical medical care for comparison.
In addition, the current study was conducted when most of the patients are not yet fully vaccinated.
Read Also: WHO Claims COVID-19 Delta Strain Could Be the Most Dominant! What Vaccine Can Prevent It?
Earlier-Use
On October 8, 2020, Former President Donald Trump received the still experimental cocktail drug Regeneron after contracting the virus. He received it alongside, Dexamethasone, and Remdesivir.
According to Reuters, its use is currently limited to mild and moderate cases due to the emergency use authorization (EUA).
Bloomberg added that patients seen with a huge risk of getting severe symptoms are allowed to participate in the therapy in the United States. The positive result of the research could push for wider utilization of the Regeneron drug, the company told the publication.
To be exact, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued the EUA to Regeneron on November 21, 2020.
Meanwhile, Pfizer is planning to provide boosters shots by September on top of the vaccine that people recieved. On the flip side, Moderna eyes the roll out by the end of 2021. It should improve the protection from the virus to finally put an end to its threat.
Related Article: COVID-19 Delta Variant is An Extreme Threat Against US, Particularly in Low Vaccination Locations, Says Experts
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Written by Teejay Boris
