Regeneron Claims COVID Patients Receive Lasting Immunity From Its Monoclonal Antibodies

The CEO for New York-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said Monday that the company's anti-viral cocktail can provide protection against COVID-19 similar to a vaccination but more friendly to those with compromised immune systems.

In an interview with CNBC, Dr. Leonard Schleifer explained that Regeneron’s data for its single-dose antibody cocktail showed that it cut the risk of catching COVID-19 by nearly 82% for anywhere between two to eight months. This cocktail, Schleifer contends, can treat up to moderate COVID symptoms while lowering the chances of hospitalization for high-risk patients.

The Food and Drug Administration modified Regeneron’s existing Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) designation for its REGEN-COV treatment in August, but it made clear that receiving the cocktail was not a substitute for getting vaccinated. Schleifer did not dispute this, but touted the effectiveness of his company’s product as a strong treatment for those who contract the virus.

“If you want to protect people on a population level, vaccines are the best way to go – they’re cheap and you can make billions of doses,” Schleifer said. “But our data now indicates that antibodies are the key player in the sense that they are sufficient.”

“You might not need the cellular immunity. It might add something, but antibodies are sufficiently based on these data to protect you from getting COVID-19.”

Regeneron’s COVID-19 cocktail utilizes a monoclonal antibodies that target a spike protein in COVID-19 that prevents the virus from penetrating other cells. According to the FDA, these antibodies "mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens" and it can prove especially useful to those who are immunocompromised or at high risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Regeneron first received an EUA for its COVID-19 cocktail from the FDA last November, but it first came to the public’s attention when it was used as an experimental treatment for former President Donald Trump after he contracted the virus last year.

However, Schleifer made clear that he did not think Renergon could presently produce enough antibodies at an affordable price to use them as widely as vaccines, but suggested that it can be offered as an alternative.

Other treatments for COVID-19 have drawn attention in recent weeks.

On Friday, Pfizer released data that showed its anti-viral pill against COVID-19 cut the risk of hospitalization by nearly 89% for high-risk adults after combining the treatment with an HIV drug to extend immunity. Merck also released data in October on an anti-viral pill that they maintain can cut deaths and hospitalizations by 50% for patients battling mild or moderate cases of COVID-19.