Covid-19 Live Updates: Regeneron's Antibody Drug Can Help Prevent Infections, Study Says

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

A monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by the drug maker Regeneron offered strong protection against Covid-19 when given to people living with someone infected with the coronavirus, according to clinical trial results announced on Monday. The drug, if authorized, could offer another line of defense against the disease for people who are not protected by vaccination.

The findings are the latest evidence that such lab-made drugs not only prevent the worst outcomes of the disease when given early enough, but also help prevent people from getting sick in the first place.

Using the cumbersome drugs preventively on a large scale won’t be necessary: Vaccines are sufficient for the vast majority of people and are increasingly available.

Still, antibody drugs like Regeneron’s could give doctors a new way to protect high-risk people who haven’t been inoculated or who may not respond well to vaccination, such as those taking drugs that weaken their immune system. That could be an important tool as rising coronavirus cases and dangerous virus variants threaten to outpace vaccinations.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/12/world/covid-vaccine-coronavirus-cases

[mpcamb]

1. But at what cost?

Regeneron has since said that it plans to supply enough doses to treat roughly 300,000 patients under its government contract. That comes out to a cost of about $1,500 per treatment. But if Regeneron's doses only end up treating 70,000 patients, that translates into $6,500 per treatment.

Still, the company said in a statement that if emergency authorization for REGN-COV2 is granted, under the terms of its contract with the U.S. "the government has committed to making these doses available to the American people at no cost, and [the government] would be responsible for their distribution."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-regeneron-covid-antibody-cocktail-trump-covid-19/

[womanofthehills]

2. Cost will probably go down when it becomes a shot

Instead of an infusion. This is great news for many.

[LisaL]

3. Also, it would be more widely available to patients with covid, since injections can be more easily

done than infusions.

[Javaman]

5. if you have to ask, you can't afford it. welcome to America. lol nt

[ancianita]

4. People who show symptoms can get it, and most often for free.

There's plenty of it available through the last covid rescue package.

It's free and it's an actual treatment that works.
Get it within, or right after, 10 days of increased symptoms.

Those of use who've gotten fully immunized can still use this treatment in case we get covid symptoms in the future from those not part of the herd's immunity. Maybe by then there will be an FDA approved regimen of vaccinations (basic + booster) once the adverse reaction data are in.