FDA approves first treatment for Ebola virus

On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Inmazeb (atoltivimab, maftivimab, and odesivimab-ebgn; REGN-EB3), a mixture of three monoclonal antibodies, as the first FDA-cleared treatment for Zaire ebolavirus (Ebola virus) infection in adult and pediatric patients, including newborns of mothers who have tested positive for the infection.

The approval was granted to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) and was ahead of the target action date for the FDA decision of October 25, 2020. Surprisingly, Regeneron’s shares closed down 1.2% at $600.82 yesterday. However, the stock has risen around 60% so far this year.

"We are incredibly proud that the FDA has approved Inmazeb, which is also known as REGN-EB3. This is the first time the FDA has approved a treatment specifically for Ebola, which has caused a number of deadly outbreaks," said Dr George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron.