The current cocktail of antibodies developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has diminished its effectiveness against the heavily mutated strain of Covid-19.
The first trials of the new antibodies will be conducted in the first quarter of 2022, according to the CEO. The FDA is working with Regeneron to get the next generation of antibodies approved as quickly as possible.
During an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box, Schleifer said that they need to figure out a way to get this to patients on a large scale before the next variant shows up. We don't want to chase our tail here.
The current cocktail is still effective. Hospitals from the Great Lakes to the Northeast are currently overwhelmed by infections. Public health officials are concerned that the health-care system will be hit by a wave of infections as well as the U.S. enters the winter season.
The health-care system could be helped by effective antibody treatments.
It is possible that the flu surge and the delta surge will occur. We need a full toolkit here.
The cocktail is administered through a needle. The cocktail blocks the ability of the virus to invade human cells. Over the course of the Pandemic, the spikeProtein has undergone significant change. The spike has more than 30 different variations.
Walensky said that omicron makes up 3% of Covid cases in the US. The World Health Organization said omicron is spreading faster than any previous variant.
A study done by Dr. David Ho at Columbia and a team of scientists found that all four of the antibody cocktails currently in clinical use were hit hard by omicron. The study has not yet been peer reviewed, because it was published as pre-print.
The oral antiviral pills are being developed by Pfizer and Merck. Pfizer said its pill was effective at preventing hospitalizations. In its clinical trial, the pill reduced hospitalizations by 30%. The FDA can authorize the treatments on an emergency basis.
