- Major Women’s Health Study Supports Hormone Replacement Therapy in Early Menopause
- Organic Walnuts Tied to Serious E. Coli Illnesses
- More Than Half of Cats on Farm Where Bird Flu Infected Cows Died After Drinking Milk
- Biden Administration Could Reclassify Marijuana as Less Risky Drug
- Americans of Pacific Island Ethnicity Have Up to Triple the Rate of Cancer Deaths
- How Anger Could Raise Your Heart Risks
- EPA Clamps Down on Deadly Toxin Found in Paint Strippers
- Popular Teens (Especially Girls) May Get Less Sleep
- Years Prior to Menopause Are Danger Zone for Depression
- School Entry Rules Boost Kids’ HPV Vaccination Rates
Regeneron Says Its Antibody Cocktail Likely Weakened by Omicron Variant
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that its antibody cocktail, which is used widely to treat COVID-19 patients, may be less effective against the Omicron variant.
The company noted that prior analyses suggest that its monoclonal antibody cocktail, and similar drugs, could lose effectiveness against the variant.
Further research is ongoing, according to Regeneron, which added there is no direct data yet testing the new variant’s resistance to immunity from monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. The company did note that it is already testing the next generation of antibody treatments that might show greater potency against the Omicron variant.
Health officials consider monoclonal antibodies highly effective in preventing hospitalization among patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 if the therapy is given within seven to 10 days after symptoms appear.
The treatment — typically administered through four injections or a half-hour infusion — provides antibodies that quickly target the coronavirus while the body’s immune system gears up to fight it, the Washington Post reported.
President Donald Trump was given Regeneron’s antibody cocktail when he was infected with the virus in 2020. It is now widely available to the American public.
More information
Visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health for more on COVID antibody treatments.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.