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<keyword id="6409874" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AstraZeneca" source="Orion">AstraZeneca</keyword>'s long-acting antibody combination is both able to prevent and treat Covid-19, according to the phase three results released on Monday. The drug, AZD7442, is a combination of two antibodies -- tixagevimab (AZD8895) and cilgavimab (AZD1061) -- which is derived from B-cells donated by convalescent patients after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the company said in a statement. The phase III trial conducted in 96 sites in Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Ukraine, UK and US, included 903 participants who were administered a dose of 600mg of AZD7442 given by intramuscular (IM) injection. The results showed that the cocktail reduced the risk of developing severe Covid-19 or death (from any cause) by 50 per cent compared to placebo in outpatients who had been symptomatic for seven days or less, the company said. The drug was well tolerated in the trial. "With continued cases of serious Covid-19 infections across the globe, there is a significant need for new therapies like AZD7442 that can be used to protect vulnerable populations from getting Covid-19 and can also help prevent progression to severe disease. These positive results show that a convenient intramuscular dose of AZD7442 could play an important role in helping combat this devastating pandemic," said Hugh Montgomery, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at University College London, in the statement. In the participants who received treatment within five days of symptom onset, AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing severe Covid-19 or death (from any cause) by 67 per cent compared to placebo. AZD7442 is the first cocktail with Phase III data to demonstrate benefits in both prophylaxis and treatment of Covid-19 and is easily administered by IM injection, the company said. "An early intervention with our antibody can give a significant reduction in progression to severe disease, with continued protection for more than six months," said Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&amp;D, AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca will be discussing the data with health authorities. The drug maker has also announced submission to the US Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorisation for AZD7442 for prophylaxis of Covid-19. The results from the trial will also be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal and presented at a forthcoming medical meeting, the company said.

AstraZeneca's antibody cocktail can prevent, treat Covid-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11908241" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astrazeneca" source="Orion">AstraZeneca</keyword> said its <keyword id="11930696" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antibody" source="Orion">antibody</keyword> drug cut the risk of severe COVID-19 in half in a late-stage study.</li><li>The drug, called AZD7442, is a combination of two antibodies given as an injection.</li></ul>AstraZeneca's antibody drug cut the risk of severe COVID-19 by at least 50% in a late stage study, <a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/azd7442-phiii-trial-positive-in-covid-outpatients.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the company announced on Monday. </a>The injection, called AZD7442, contains two different <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-variants-antibody-antibodies-adapt-arms-race-immune-system-virus-2021-9">antibodies</a> developed from the the blood of people who previously contracted COVID-19. It's the first drug of its kind shown to both prevent and treat COVID-19 in late-stage trials, the company <a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/azd7442-phiii-trial-positive-in-covid-outpatients.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a press release</a>.<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/azd7442-request-for-emergency-use-authorization-for-covid-19-prophylaxis-filed-in-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The company has already requested Food and Drug Administration (FDA)</a> approval to use AZD7442 to prevent COVID-19, after late-stage trial results in August showed it reduced the risk of COVID-19 with symptoms by 77%.It would now discuss the latest data with <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> authorities, it said.The results come after Merck, the US pharmaceutical company, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/merck-asks-fda-to-authorize-covid-19-antiviral-pill-2021-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on Monday it would ask the FDA</a> to authorize its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-antiviral-pills-results-coming-impacting-the-pandemic-2021-9">oral COVID-19 pill</a>, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/merck-asks-fda-to-authorize-covid-19-antiviral-pill-2021-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">halved the risk of hospitalization or death</a> in a trial. The latest AstraZeneca results, from the TACKLE trial, showed that the risk of severe COVID-19 or death was halved if people took the drug within seven days of COVID-19 symptoms, AstraZeneca said. Out of 407 people who got the drug, 18 developed severe COVID-19 or died - compared with 37 of 415 people who got a saline injection.If AZD7442 was given earlier, within five days of symptoms, the risk of severe COVID-19 was reduced by 67%, the company said. On this timing, nine of 253 participants in the AZD7442 group got severe COVID-19 or died, compared with 27 out of 251 in the placebo group.AstraZeneca tested the drug on 822 adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 in 13 countries, including the US and UK, it said. The drug, which works by stopping the virus that causes COVID-19 from binding to the body's cells, was "generally well tolerated," it said in the release. It didn't detail any side effects.<h2>Protection for vulnerable people</h2>Mene Pangalos, executive vice president at AstraZeneca, <a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/astraz/media-centre/press-releases/2021/azd7442-phiii-trial-positive-in-covid-outpatients.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement </a> that "early intervention with our antibody can give a significant reduction in progression to severe disease, with continued protection for more than six months."AstraZeneca looked at the drug's impact at day 29 of the TACKLE study, which is expected to follow participants for up to 15 months. AstraZeneca's early stage studies have previously shown that antibodies last at least nine months after the drug is given.Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at Kings College, London, said in a statement that long lasting protection, up to 12 months, may be "a useful addition for immune-suppressed individuals whose response to vaccination is suboptimal."Most people in the trial, 90%, had comorbidities that put them at high risk of severe COVID-19, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, chronic lung disease or asthma, cardiovascular disease, or immunosuppression, and 13% were aged over 65, AstraZeneca said.Ward said that unlike oral pills, monoclonal antibody treatments given as an injection, such as AstraZeneca's, don't interfere with other medicines. This "may potentially make administration simpler for these patients," she said.

AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 drug cuts the risk of severe disease in half. It's the first antibody cocktail shown to both prevent and treat the disease in late-stage trials.

Hello,Welcome to Insider <keyword id="11897506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare" source="Orion">Healthcare</keyword>. I'm healthcare editor Leah Rosenbaum, and today in healthcare news:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/promising-covid-treatments-pills-nasal-sprays-2021-10">Here are the needle-free COVID-19 treatments undergoing testing right now</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-for-kids-what-to-know-2021-10">What you need to know about kids getting the Pfizer vaccine</a>;</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-antibody-drug-azd7442-reduced-severe-covid-19-risk-study-2021-10">AstraZenca's new antibody drug is the first that's shown to prevent and treat COVID-19.</a></li></ul>If you're new to this newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-healthcare">sign up here.</a> Comments, tips? Email me at <a href="mailto:lrosenbaum@insider.com">lrosenbaum@insider.com</a> or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/leah_rosenbaum">@leah_rosenbaum.</a> Let's get to it...<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/promising-covid-treatments-pills-nasal-sprays-2021-10">The first-ever COVID-19 pill may be just weeks away. A handful of other pills, inhalers, and nasal sprays also show promise.</a></h3><ul><li>Treating COVID-19 could be simpler soon, thanks to the next generation of <keyword id="12019702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="treatments" source="Orion">treatments</keyword>.</li><li>These could come in the form of <keyword id="12258955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pills" source="Orion">pills</keyword>, nasal sprays, or inhalers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/promising-covid-treatments-pills-nasal-sprays-2021-10">On Monday, Merck asked the FDA to authorize its antiviral pill, which would be the first COVID-19 treatment of its kind</a>. </li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/promising-covid-treatments-pills-nasal-sprays-2021-10">Read more now&gt;&gt;</a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-for-kids-what-to-know-2021-10"><div type="image" title="Finley Martin, 14, gets a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the First Baptist Church of Pasadena Friday, May 14, 2021, in Pasadena, Calif." height="1000" width="1333" msid="86967759" hostid="261"></div>Kids ages 5-11 could start getting Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine next month. Here's what to know and how to get your child a shot.</a></h3><ul><li>Pfizer has formally asked the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 <keyword id="11894310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine" source="Orion">vaccine</keyword> for emergency use among <keyword id="11903370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kids" source="Orion">kids</keyword> ages 5 to 11.</li><li>A doctor who helped run Pfizer's vaccine trial told Insider he wants his kids to be "first in line."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-for-kids-what-to-know-2021-10">Here are the answers to common questions parents might have about the vaccine.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-for-kids-what-to-know-2021-10">Get the latest info&gt;&gt; </a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-antibody-drug-azd7442-reduced-severe-covid-19-risk-study-2021-10"><div type="image" title="Dan Pelletier, a pharmacy technicinan specialist at Maine Medical Center, demonstrates the process of preparing anitibodies used to treat COVID19 patients." height="2036" width="2715" msid="86967761" hostid="261"></div>AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 drug cuts the risk of severe disease in half. It's the first antibody cocktail shown to both prevent and treat the disease in late-stage trials.</a></h3><ul><li>AstraZeneca said its antibody drug cut the risk of severe COVID-19 in half in a late-stage study.</li><li>The drug, called AZD7442, is a combination of two <keyword id="12154142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antibodies" source="Orion">antibodies</keyword> given as an injection.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-antibody-drug-azd7442-reduced-severe-covid-19-risk-study-2021-10">AstraZeneca said it's the only drug of its kind shown to both prevent and treat COVID-19.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-antibody-drug-azd7442-reduced-severe-covid-19-risk-study-2021-10">Dive in&gt;&gt;</a>More stories we're reading:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-guidance-trick-or-treat-celebrate-halloween-covid-coronavirus-mask-2021-10">'Enjoy it': Fauci says it's safe for Americans and their children to trick or treat on Halloween</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/08/how-covax-failed-on-its-promise-to-vaccinate-the-world/">A new investigation finds that COVAX's global vaccine program was too ambitious</a> (STAT)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaiser-permanente-health-care-workers-vote-to-authorize-strike-2021-10">Health care workers at Kaiser Permanente vote to authorize strike, rejecting pay cuts for new hires</a> (Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/10/health/coronavirus-ventilation-carbon-dioxide.html">Parents are sneaking air quality monitors into school backpacks</a> (New York Times)</li></ul>-Leah

The needle-free COVID-19 treatments undergoing testing right now

Welcome to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/dispensed-daily">Business Insider</a>'<a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/dispensed-daily">s daily healthcare newsletter</a>, your daily dose of pharma, biotech, and <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> news. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/dispensed-daily">Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday.</a>Hello,On Monday evening, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/johnson-and-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-paused-2020-10">Johnson &amp; Johnson said it halted all dosing associated with its coronavirus vaccine trials after an "unexplained illness" in a participant</a>, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/10/12/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine-study-paused-due-to-unexplained-illness-in-participant/">as first reported by Stat News</a>. It's another setback to the <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> race after AstraZeneca's trial also hit a snag in September. We're officially three weeks away from the presidential election. Between that and arguments slated for next month on the Affordable Care Act, all eyes are on the Trump administration to have a plan should the law be struck down.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-obamacare-aca-replacement-supreme-court-arguments-2020-10">Kimberly Leonard spoke to one of Trump's top advisors about what might happen, since the administration hasn't laid out a plan to replace the law.</a>And across the pond, England is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-lockdown-boris-johnson-3-tiered-system-england-2020-10">getting set to start closing parts of the country down as case counts rise.</a>Elsewhere in healthcare news: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-to-include-teenagers-2020-10">Pfizer's expanding its vaccine trial to include kids as young as 12</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-groups-dont-mind-trump-drug-tested-fetal-tissue-2020-10">what antiabortion groups think of Trump taking an experimental drug tested on cells derived from an aborted fetus</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-antibody-trump-treatment-drug-trials-2020-10">antibody drug trials have seen an uptick in interest</a>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-to-include-teenagers-2020-10"><div type="image" title="vaccine" height="632" width="842" msid="78641859" hostid="261"></div></a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-to-include-teenagers-2020-10">Pfizer will start testing its coronavirus vaccine on children as young as 12, a crucial step to bringing the shot to more people</a></h3><ul><li>Pfizer is expanding its massive <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccine clinical trial, opening the study to include children as young as 12.</li><li>The company is poised to become the first major drugmaker to start testing a COVID-19 shot in kids in a large-scale study.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-to-include-teenagers-2020-10">The New York pharma giant said it got permission to boost the study's overall size to as many as 48,400 volunteers.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-expands-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-to-include-teenagers-2020-10">Read the full story from Andrew Dunn here&gt;&gt;</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-groups-dont-mind-trump-drug-tested-fetal-tissue-2020-10"><div type="image" title="president trump" height="1333" width="1778" msid="78641863" hostid="261"></div></a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-groups-dont-mind-trump-drug-tested-fetal-tissue-2020-10">Antiabortion groups say they stand behind Trump's use of a drug tested on cells derived from an aborted fetus because the president 'was not involved with that abortion'</a></h3><ul><li>An <keyword id="6562600" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="AntiBody">antibody</keyword> cocktail President Trump received for his COVID-19 treatment was tested using stem cells derived from a fetus that was aborted in 1972 in the Netherlands.</li><li>Antiabortion organizations have spoken out against the use of these stem cells, which have been lab-engineered and duplicated, to test vaccines. Trump has also restricted use of these stem cells in research.</li><li>Three leaders of antiabortion organizations told Insider that though the testing wasn't ethical, they stood behind Trump's decision.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-groups-dont-mind-trump-drug-tested-fetal-tissue-2020-10">One said Trump has been "sensational on the life issues."</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-groups-dont-mind-trump-drug-tested-fetal-tissue-2020-10">Read the full story from Julia Naftulin here&gt;&gt;</a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-antibody-trump-treatment-drug-trials-2020-10"><div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Scientists work in a lab testing COVID-19 samples at New York City's health department, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York U.S., April 23, 2020. Picture taken April 23, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/" height="3424" width="4565" msid="78641869" hostid="261"></div></a></h3><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-antibody-trump-treatment-drug-trials-2020-10">More patients want to join antibody drug trials after Trump's coronavirus treatment — though we don't know yet if it actually helps COVID-19</a></h3><ul><li>Coronavirus patients are asking to join clinical trials of antibody-based drugs after President Trump was given an experimental antibody therapy.</li><li>Regeneron, the company that made the antibody cocktail given to Trump, told Business Insider that "generally we have seen an uptick in clinical trial interest overall in recent weeks."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-antibody-trump-treatment-drug-trials-2020-10">Regeneron's antibody cocktail has not yet been approved by regulators and is only available to those taking part in the trial.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-antibody-trump-treatment-drug-trials-2020-10">Read the full story from Sinéad Baker here&gt;&gt;</a>More stories we're reading:<ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-coronavirus-vaccine-more-important-election-earnings-goldman-2020-10-1029669920#">Vaccine developments are more important to stocks than election results and 3rd-quarter earnings, Goldman Sachs says</a> (Markets Insider)</li><li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/a-bellevue-doctors-coronavirus-pandemic-diary">The pandemic diary of a Bellevue primary care doctor</a> (The New Yorker)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/30-leaders-under-40-changing-healthcare-2020-9">ICYMI: Meet the 30 young leaders who are forging a new future for the $3.6 trillion healthcare industry</a> (Business Insider)</li><li><a href="https://medium.com/@olearykm/a-review-of-the-clover-spac-6a22d000afdb">A thorough review of Clover Health's plans to go public via SPAC</a> (Kevin O'Leary, on Medium)</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/six-markets-rapidly-growing-life-science-real-estate-labs-biotech-2020-10">The 6 life science real estate markets to watch as the red-hot biotech and pharmaceutical sector draws in billions of dollars in funding </a> (Business Insider)</li></ul><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-healthcare">Subscribe to our newsletter here.</a>- Lydia

The latest setback in the race for a coronavirus vaccine

The 10 most promising coronavirus treatments that could help curb the pandemic, even without a vaccine

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Drug companies are preparing for Omicron to be the next major challenge of the pandemic.</li><li>The newest variant's mutations could weaken vaccine protection, though that remains unknown.</li></ul>Vaccine and drug developers are preparing for the Omicron variant to turn into the next major challenge of the pandemic. The new variant, first identified in South Africa, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/global-spread-omicron-cases-associated-travel-curbs-2021-11-29/">has already spread</a> to at least 10 countries around the world, with confirmed cases in places such as the UK, Australia, Germany, and Canada. The World <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> Organization labeled the new strain a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-covid-variant-concern-what-we-know-2021-11">"variant of concern"</a> on Friday, and the world is now waiting on laboratory research to clarify just how threatening Omicron may be.The biggest questions <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-covid-variant-concern-what-we-know-2021-11">are still unanswered</a>, particularly how the leading vaccines and treatments hold up against Omicron. Experts say they are worried because this new variant carries more than 30 mutations to its spike protein, the target for the vaccines and many treatments. The fear is these changes to the virus may help it evade protection from vaccination or an antibody infusion.<div type="image" title="Robert Nelsen Arch Venture Partners" height="1816" width="2421" msid="87992507" hostid="261"></div>"On the face of it, it looks pretty gnarly," Robert Nelsen, a managing director of Arch Venture Partners, told Insider.<h2>Vaccine developers are already preparing Omicron-specific boosters </h2><div type="image" title="A NHS vaccinator prepares to administer the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to a member of public at a vaccination centre in London." height="1750" width="3500" msid="87992509" hostid="261"></div>Drug companies have been preparing for this moment. The vaccine manufacturers Moderna, <keyword id="11897118" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfizer" source="Orion">Pfizer</keyword>, and BioNTech have talked up their ability to quickly update their vaccines to new strains thanks to the flexibility of their mRNA-based shots. While they are also waiting for definitive data on how the vaccine formulations hold up, they are already jumping into action. "This is the highest level of alert we've ever been on, by far," Stephen Hoge, Moderna's president, told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/covid-variant-fallout-omnicron/2021/11/27/8c6e0548-4f02-11ec-a7b8-9ed28bf23929_story.html">The Washington Post</a>.Hoge called Omicron's dozens of mutations "a Frankenstein mixture of the greatest hits." They carry some of the changes that raised alarm with variants such as Beta and Delta. Omicron has additional mutations that aren't well studied yet, he added. Previous lab studies have shown that the vaccines <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03777-9">produce fewer</a> neutralizing antibodies against the Beta and Delta variants. Those lower antibody levels are still protective, but some experts suspected that the changes cause <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02261-8">protection to wane faster</a>.Moderna <a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-announces-strategy-address-omicron-b11529-sars-cov-2">announced</a> its Omicron strategy on Friday. The Massachusetts <keyword id="11908912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biotech" source="Orion">biotech</keyword> has started developing a booster shot tailored to the new variant. The company has already started clinical trials for other booster shots, including a version of its vaccine that includes mutations previously seen in the Beta and Delta variants that are also present in Omicron.Pfizer and BioNTech are also evaluating an Omicron-specific booster shot. Pfizer has said it can have a new shot ready to manufacture and distribute in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-update-100-days-omicron-variant-resistant-2021-11">less than 100 days</a>.Other vaccine developers are also scrambling to respond. Johnson &amp; Johnson <a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-to-evaluate-its-covid-19-vaccine-against-new-omicron-covid-19-variant">said on Monday</a> that it's also working on an Omicron-specific vaccine. Novavax, a Maryland biotech, said on Friday that it's starting to develop an Omicron shot that could begin testing and manufacturing in a few weeks, if needed.Not all agree that Omicron-specific shots are the best approach. Tillman Gerngross, the CEO of the antibody developer Adagio Therapeutics, told Insider that a variant-specific shot was a "fool's errand" given how quickly new strains emerge. Gerngross' company is focused on making COVID-19 antibody treatments that are variant-resistant.Vaccine developers previously created a Beta-specific shot, only to have Delta take over by the time it was ready for clinical study, he said. "Chasing the waves is an idiotic idea in my view," Gerngross said. <h2>Antiviral treatments could play a larger role as the Omicron variant spreads</h2><div type="image" title="monoclonal antibodies" height="2139" width="2853" msid="87992511" hostid="261"></div>Nelsen, a longtime biotech venture capitalist who sits on the board of Vir Biotechnology, said he was confident Omicron would have less effect on the new COVID-19 pills developed by Pfizer and Merck compared to the vaccines."The antivirals should work," Nelsen said, although he didn't believe Merck's drug would be much help after a new analysis showed that it was <a href="https://www.merck.com/news/merck-and-ridgeback-biotherapeutics-provide-update-on-results-from-move-out-study-of-molnupiravir-an-investigational-oral-antiviral-medicine-in-at-risk-adults-with-mild-to-moderate-covid-19/">30% effective</a> at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Instead, Nelsen said Pfizer's pill, which showed an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizers-covid-19-pill-paxlovid-cuts-hospitalizations-deaths-by-89-2021-11">89% reduction</a> in hospitalizations and deaths, could still have a major effect on the pandemic despite Omicron's mutations. Pfizer has said it plans to produce 80 million treatment courses by the end of 2021.Unlike the leading vaccines, these antiviral pills don't target the spike protein, so experts are confident they may still be effective against a new variant.Albert Bourla, Pfizer's CEO, said in a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2021/11/29/pfizer-ceo-on-omicron-we-could-have-a-new-vaccine-in-less-than-100-days.html">Monday interview</a> on CNBC that he had a "very, very high level of confidence that the treatment will not be affected" by Omicron.Both antiviral treatments are being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, with an expert panel set to meet on Tuesday to review and vote on Merck's drug, which was codeveloped with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.<h2>Antibody drugs could see a major shake-up in leading manufacturers </h2>There's more uncertainty with antibody drugs. These treatments are typically given as IV infusions, delivering antibodies to patients that can help fight COVID-19. A range of companies have produced antibody drugs that are now in use, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Vir-GlaxoSmithKline, and Celltrion.<a href="https://twitter.com/jbloom_lab/status/1464005676842184705">Preliminary research</a> from the lab of Jesse Bloom, a biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, indicated that Regeneron's drug could "take a hit," and that Lilly's cocktail could also be in trouble against the Omicron variant. But <a href="https://twitter.com/jbloom_lab/status/1464005705891868702">Bloom cautioned</a> on Twitter that it was too early to say for sure how Omicron would affect these drugs, with more research needed.Some new biotechs see Omicron as an opportunity to show the value of their approaches. Adagio, for instance, was founded in 2020 to develop a COVID-19 antibody drug that could withstand variants. Its stock has more than doubled since last Wednesday, soaring to a $4.9 billion valuation. <div type="image" title="Tillman Gerngross, CEO and cofounder of Adagio Therapeutics." height="1746" width="2328" msid="87992513" hostid="261"></div>Gerngross, Adagio's CEO, said the company's research suggested that its experimental antibody drug wasn't affected by Omicron.Adagio's antibody is still in clinical trials to see whether it can treat or prevent COVID-19, with pivotal results expected by the middle of 2022, Gerngross said. Adagio expects to produce 2 million treatment courses next year.A key challenge may be raising awareness of monoclonal antibodies with clinicians and patients, and making it easier to get access, said Dr. Kavita Patel, a primary-care physician in Washington and former White House health-policy director."It is just a beast to try to get people monoclonals," Patel said. She added that this weekend she had to send a patient to a Connecticut emergency room to get access to antibodies.Overall, Omicron may draw more attention to treatments, particularly if the vaccines are less effective against the variant."We are at a pivotal moment again in this pandemic," Gerngross said.

Omicron has drug companies preparing for the worst. Here are their plans to counterattack the newest COVID-19 variant.

<ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/regn-stock">Regeneron </a>Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday reported solid first quarter earnings and announced its key COVID-19 drug may be available in the fall. </li><li>Shares surged 7% Tuesday, advancing the company's position as the top performing S&amp;P 500 stock this year. </li><li>The drug is slated to begin human trials in June. </li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/regn-stock">Watch Regeneron trade live on Markets Insider.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Read more on Business Insider. </a></li></ul><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/regn-stock">Regeneron</a> Pharmaceuticals shares surged more than 7% Tuesday, gaining on its lead as the top performing stock in the S&amp;P 500 this year. The pharmaceutical company on Tuesday reported first quarter 2020 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations. In addition, <a href="https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-reports-first-quarter-2020-financial-and-operating">Regeneron announced</a> Tuesday that it is advancing a key <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> antibody treatment with a goal to have "hundreds of thousands of preventative doses available by the end of August 2020." <keyword id="1947766" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Regeneron">Regeneron</keyword> has surged amid the <keyword id="8829783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</keyword>, gaining 44% for the year through Monday's close — the best performing stock in the S&amp;P 500 index for the period. It's beaten out other big-name companies that have benefited from the crisis, including <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/amzn-stock">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/clx-stock">Clorox</a>, and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/nflx-stock">Netflix</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-best-travel-coronavirus-recovery-tom-lee-2020-5">Renowned strategist Tom Lee recommends 12 beaten-down travel stocks to buy now for an average profit of 32% during the pandemic recovery</a>The pharmaceutical firm has gained as optimism grows that its experimental antibody drug will be an effective treatment for the coronavirus. "Our novel antibody cocktail, REGN-COV2, which is specifically-designed for both prevention and treatment, is expected to begin human studies in June and we are working in parallel to have large-scale quantities available by late summer," said Leonard S. Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Regeneron, <a href="https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-reports-first-quarter-2020-financial-and-operating">in a statement.</a>There are other companies that are also working to quickly develop antibody treatments for COVID-19, including <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/astrazeneca-stock">AstraZeneca</a>, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/vir-stock">Vir Technologies</a>, and Eli Lilly &amp; Co. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gild-stock">Gilead Sciences</a> is also working on a treatment for COVID-19, but its drug <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-gilead-says-positive-data-remdesivir-from-niaid-study-2020-4?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest">remdesivir is an antiviral</a>.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/regn-stock"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2020 05 05 at 2.19.30 PM" height="1074" width="1554" msid="75564497" hostid="261"></div></a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regeneron-stock-price-earnings-coronavirus-drug-update-sp500-best-performer-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

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AstraZeneca's antibody cocktail can prevent, treat Covid-19

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AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 drug cuts the risk of severe disease in half. It's the first antibody cocktail shown to both prevent and treat the disease in late-stage trials.

Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce

The needle-free COVID-19 treatments undergoing testing right now

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The latest setback in the race for a coronavirus vaccine

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The 10 most promising coronavirus treatments that could help curb the pandemic, even without a vaccine

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Omicron has drug companies preparing for the worst. Here are their plans to counterattack the newest COVID-19 variant.

Andrew Dunn

Regeneron widens its lead as the S&P 500's top performer after saying key COVID-19 drug may be available in the fall

Carmen Reinicke

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