Antibody Drugs Could Act as a Temporary Covid-19 Vaccine

Antibody Drugs Could Act as a Temporary Covid-19 Vaccine Results from clinical trials show promising signs Emily Mullin Medium

Lab-made antibodies are showing promise for preventing Covid-19 infection in those at high risk of contracting the disease. With vaccines in short supply in the United States and elsewhere, the drugs could be used to provide short-term protection until people can get vaccinated.

The good news came in quick succession over the past week from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and biotech firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. First, Eli Lilly announced on January 21 that its antibody drug bamlanivimab prevented Covid-19 cases in nursing homes.

The company retrofitted RVs into mobile research labs capable of preparing the drug and parked the trailers at nursing homes. That way, when Covid-19 cases started cropping up at facilities, investigators could be ready to quickly deliver the drug, which is given via IV drip. In results publicized last week, Eli Lilly found that the drug reduced symptomatic infections among nursing home residents by 80% compared to those who got a placebo. Among staff members, there was a 60% reduction in cases. The trial included 965 people — 299 residents and 666 staff members.

Regeneron followed up on January 26 with the announcement that its cocktail of two lab-made antibodies also prevented infection in people living with someone with Covid-19. In an initial analysis of 409 people in an ongoing clinical trial, the drug reduced infections by about 50%. Ten people among 186 who received the drug ended up getting Covid-19 compared to 23 people out of 223 people who got a placebo.

The drug also seemed to reduce the length of sickness in people who got Covid-19. Symptoms lasted a week or less for those who received the antibody cocktail, while 40% of people in the placebo group had infections lasting three to four weeks. Infected people in the placebo group also had much higher viral loads than those who got the drug.

In contrast to Eli Lilly’s treatment, Regeneron’s drug was formulated so that it could be given as an injection, which makes it much more convenient for health care workers to administer. ...