REGEN-COV shown to save lives in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

US biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ (Nasdaq: REGN) shares were up 2.4% at $40.16 in early trading today, as new results of a large UK clinical trial showed the company’s antibody cocktail improved survival in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The UK RECOVERY trial found that adding investigational REGEN-COV (casirivimab an imdevimab) to usual care reduced the risk of death by 20% in patients who had not mounted a natural antibody response on their own against SARS-CoV-2, compared to usual care on its own.

"These results are very exciting. The hope was that by giving a combination of antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus we would be able to reduce the worst manifestations of COVID-19," said Sir Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, and joint chief Investigator for the RECOVERY trial. "There was, however, great uncertainty about the value of antiviral therapies in late-stage COVID-19 disease. It is wonderful to learn that even in advanced COVID-19 disease, targeting the virus can reduce mortality in patients who have failed to mount an antibody response of their own," he added.