Regeneron's COVID-19 antibody cocktail reduces virus levels and medical visits

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ (Nasdaq: REGN) shares edged up 2.3% to $580.00 pre-market after the US biotech announced positive, prospective results from an ongoing Phase II/III seamless trial in the COVID-19 outpatient setting showing its investigational antibody cocktail, REGN-COV2, met the primary and key secondary endpoints.

REGN-COV2, which US President Donald Trump credited for his recovery from a COVID-19 infection, significantly reduced viral load and patient medical visits (hospitalizations, emergency room, urgent care visits and/or physician office/telemedicine visits), the company noted.

"The first job of an antiviral therapeutic drug is to lower the viral load, and our initial data in 275 patients strongly suggested that the REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail could lower viral load and thereby potentially improve clinical outcomes. Today's analysis, involving more than 500 additional patients, prospectively confirms that REGN-COV2 can indeed significantly reduce viral load and further shows that these viral reductions are associated with a significant decrease in the need for further medical attention," said Dr George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron.