Regeneron: REGEN-COV Is Active Against U.K., South Africa SARS-CoV-2 Variants
January 27 2021 - 8:05AM
Dow Jones News
By Michael Dabaie
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Columbia University
researchers and Regeneron scientists independently confirmed that
its REGEN-COV casirivimab and imdevimab antibody cocktail
successfully neutralizes the SARS-CoV-2 variants first identified
in the U.K. and South Africa.
Shares were up 1.3% to $551 in premarket trading.
Columbia's findings were included in a paper posted to bioRxiv
and submitted for peer-reviewed publication on the changing
resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to antibody neutralization,
Regeneron said.
Both teams of researchers assessed in vitro neutralization
potency of numerous Covid-19 antibodies against various mutated
strains of the virus, the company said. Although some antibody
therapies were no longer effective against some of these variants,
the REGEN-COV antibody cocktail continued to neutralize all
variants tested, Regeneron said.
"With two complementary antibodies in one therapeutic, even if
one has reduced potency, the risk of the cocktail losing efficacy
is significantly diminished, since the virus would need to mutate
in multiple distinct locations to evade both antibodies," said
George D. Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer at
Regeneron.
In November 2020, REGEN-COV received emergency use authorization
from the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mild to
moderate Covid-19.
Regeneron said it is collaborating with Roche Holding AG to
increase global supply of REGEN-COV. Regeneron is responsible for
development and distribution of the treatment in the U.S., and
Roche is primarily responsible for development and distribution
outside the U.S.
Write to Michael Dabaie at michael.dabaie@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 27, 2021 07:50 ET (12:50 GMT)
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