Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Good News On Monoclonal Antibodies Keeps Rolling In From Clinical Trials
Stat: Regeneron Says Monoclonal Antibodies Prevent Covid-19 In Study
Regeneron said Tuesday that its monoclonal antibody cocktail prevented Covid-19 in a clinical trial. The news, issued via a press release, mirrored similar news from Eli Lilly last week that its monoclonal antibody prevented symptomatic Covid-19 infections in nursing homes. (Herper, 1/26)
FiercePharma: Regeneron Pitches COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail For 'Passive Vaccination' With Fresh Trial Data
As the demand for COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca continues to outstrip supply and alternative vaccines struggle to make it out of the pipeline, the world is desperate for new ways to end the pandemic. Regeneron says it's offering a potential solution. The New York-based biotech released preliminary data from an ongoing phase 3 trial of its antibody cocktail REGEN-COV in people at high risk of contracting COVID-19 because of exposure to family members with the disease. The results justify using the drug for “passive vaccination,” the company said today. (Weintraub, 1/26)
Also —
The Hill: Eli Lilly Says Antibody Combo Significantly Cuts COVID-19 Death Risk
A combination treatment of two monoclonal antibodies developed by Eli Lilly can significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19, the company announced Tuesday. The results from a final-stage clinical trial of more than 1,000 patients testing the combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab found just 11 hospitalizations in patients taking the therapy, compared to 36 events in patients taking a placebo, a 70 percent reduction compared to a placebo. (Weixel, 1/26)
USA Today: Eli Lilly Says Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Cuts Hospitalizations By 70% For High-Risk COVID-19 Patients
While vaccines may help slow the COVID-19 pandemic over the next months, drug company Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that its treatments can help save lives in the meantime. The company's drug bamlanivimab was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last year and has been used by 125,000 high-risk patients nationwide based on early-stage data suggesting it could be effective. The drug is a monoclonal antibody, meaning it mimics one of the natural antibodies the immune system uses to fight off the virus. (Weintraub, 1/26)
In other news about covid treatments —
The Hill: WHO Revises Guidance For COVID-19 Patients' Treatment, Recommending Follow-Up Care, Low-Dose Anticoagulants
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday issued new guidance for treatment of coronavirus patients, including those with persistent post-recovery symptoms. The advice includes the use of at-home oxygen saturation testing for those who have been discharged from hospitals and low-dose anticoagulants for patients who remain hospitalized to prevent thrombosis. (Budryk, 1/26)
KHN: Remdesivir, Given To Half Of Hospitalized Covid Patients In U.S., Is Big Win For Gilead — Boosted By Taxpayers
It was the end of April — just as the U.S. confirmed its millionth covid-19 case and 50,000 deaths — when White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci announced “highly significant” news about a drug called remdesivir. That was surprising because the antiviral drug, owned by Gilead Sciences and developed with investment from the federal government, had languished for years with no apparent commercial use. It had struck out as a treatment for hepatitis C and Ebola. (Tribble, 1/27)
Houston Chronicle: UTMB Receives 3-Year Grant To Research Breast Milk’s COVID-19 Antibodies
Back in June, Dr. Roberto Garofalo, vice chair for research in the department of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch, drafted a grant proposal to the Gerber Foundation to examine two categories of pregnant women: those who were infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy or perinatal period and those who have never had the virus. The foundation approved a three-year, $300,000 grant for UTMB to determine whether breast milk has an innate ability to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus, or if an infected mother who recovers can pass antibodies to her child through her milk. (Garcia, 1/26)
