Regeneron's antibody cocktail gets FDA emergency green light

The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday issued an emergency use authorization for Regeneron's antibody cocktail, a treatment that was given to President Trump in October after he tested positive for COVID-19. Trump credited the cocktail for aiding his recovery.

For now, the authorization applies only to high-risk patients — people over the age of 65 or those who have underlying conditions — and the treatment is meant to be administered in the early stages of an infection; it has not been authorized for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or those who require oxygen therapy.

Demand is likely to outpace supply with infections rising rapidly across the U.S., but Regeneron said it hopes to have enough doses for 80,000 patients by the end of November, 200,000 by the first week in January, and 300,000 by the end of January.

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The cocktail consists of two monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein the coronavirus uses to enter cells. A similar therapy developed by Eli Lilly was granted an emergency use by the FDA earlier this month. Read more at Bloomberg and CNN.