Regeneron Therapy Reduces Covid-19 Death Rate

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

A large British study found Regeneron therapy – Covid-19 antibody therapy developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Roche – reduces the risk of death in Covid-19 hospitalized patients whose immune systems fail to produce a response.

Regeneron Therapy or REGEN-CoV itself has been granted emergency use permits for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 in the United States. The RECOVERY trial provides clear evidence of its effectiveness among hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

It found that antibody therapy reduced the 28-day mortality of people hospitalized with Covid-19 who did not yet have an antibody response to their immune system, known as seronegative.

The result means six fewer deaths for every 100 seronegative patients treated with Regeneron therapy, the researchers said.

No effect was seen from the treatment in those who had produced a natural antibody response.

“People are very, very skeptical that any treatment against this particular virus is going to work by the time people get to the hospital,” Martin Landray, the joint lead investigator on the trial, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“If you haven’t been able to raise your own antibodies, you’re really going to benefit from getting them (Regeneron therapy),” he says.

The therapy also shortens the hospital stay for those who are seronegative and reduces the likelihood they will need a mechanical ventilator, Landray said.

Regeneron has previously said that his therapy has shown sufficient promise in hospitalized patients to warrant continuing his trial.

These data provide the first large-scale confirmation of that statement.

There were 9,785 hospitalized patients with Covid-19 who were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus antibody combination therapy or usual care, of which 30 percent were seronegative.

The RECOVERY trial also showed the steroid dexamethasone and the arthritis drug Roche Actemra (tocilizumab) reduced mortality in hospitalized patients.

While the treatment focuses on inflammation caused by a reaction to the coronavirus, Regeneron therapy, which belongs to a class of biotech drugs called monoclonal antibodies, mimics the natural antibodies the body produces to fight infection.

“This is the first time we’ve had one that actually targets the virus itself,” Landray said, adding that it could be used in conjunction with other treatments.

“This benefit is additional in these patients,” he added.

(Reuters / bait)

[Gambas:Video CNN]

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