Coronavirus antibody cocktail shortens recovery time, new data shows

New data on Regeneron's coronavirus monoclonal antibody cocktail shows the drug is "moving in the right direction," Stat News reports.

A high dose of the cocktail led viral levels to decrease more quickly in non-hospitalized patients. The drug also appeared to have a bigger effect in COVID-19 patients who had not created high levels of antibodies on their own, shortening their recovery time, even at a lower dose.

Regeneron's chief scientific officer George Yancopoulos said "we are highly encouraged by the robust and consistent nature of these initial data," adding that the company is discussing its findings with regulatory authorities while trials continue.

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Non-affiliated observers like Eric Topol of the Scripps Research Translation Institute, meanwhile, told Stat that the data looks good so far, but "you just can't say much about how transformative this is going to be." Topol doesn't believe the treatment is ready for any sort of emergency authorization.

Still, the data comes on the heels of other promising results from Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody candidate, adding to the hope that they could play a significant role in combating the virus. Read more at Stat News.