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An antibody cocktail used to treat COVID-19 has shown to be 100 percent effective at protecting against symptomatic cases of the bug, according to new data released Tuesday.
Regeneron said its REGEN-COV treatment completely stopped symptomatic infections and cut overall rates of infections to about 50 percent in about 400 participants who were living with a COVID-19 patient.
Ten out of 186 people who received the treatment contracted COVID-19 but did not experience symptoms.
Those participants also had smaller viral loads and a shorter period of viral shedding, the company said.
The Westchester-based biotechnology giant said the treatment could be used as a “passive vaccine” following the Phase 3 results in the trial jointly run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Ten out of 186 people who received the treatment contracted COVID-19 but did not experience symptoms. Regeneron via APIn November, the Food and Drug Administration green-lit Regeneron’s therapy for mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in adults and children.
A “passive vaccine” involves delivering virus-fighting antibodies into the body — unlike traditional vaccines, which activate a person’s immune system to develop their own antibodies.
Full results from the trial are expected in the second quarter.
