Studies Extend Hopes for Antibody Drugs Against COVID-19

New results extend hopes for drugs that supply antibodies to fight COVID-19, suggesting they can help keep patients out of the hospital and possibly prevent illness in some uninfected people.

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday, January 26, that a two-antibody combo reduced the risk of hospitalizations or death by 70% in newly diagnosed, non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients at high risk of serious illness because of age or other health conditions. All 10 deaths that occurred in the study were among those receiving placebo rather than the antibodies.

Separately, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. said partial results from an ongoing study suggest its drug combo completely prevented symptomatic infections in housemates of someone with COVID-19. Importantly, the drug was given as multiple shots rather than through an IV. The need for an infusion has greatly limited the use of antibody drugs in the pandemic because of health care shortages.

None of the new results have been published or reviewed by other scientists, and the Regeneron ones were based on only one quarter of patients in its study and were not a planned early analysis.

Antibodies are proteins that attach to a virus and block it from infecting cells, but it takes several weeks after infection or vaccination for the most effective ones to form. The drugs aim to help right away, by supplying concentrated doses of one or two antibodies that worked best against the coronavirus in lab tests.

U.S. regulators have allowed emergency use of some Lilly and Regeneron antibodies for mild or moderate COVID-19 cases that do not require hospitalization while studies of them continued.

The drugs are also being tested to prevent infection in those at high risk of it. That’s called “passive vaccination” because it supplies antibodies rather than prompts the body to make them. Both companies are asking regulators to expand authorization of their drugs based on the new findings.

Regeneron’s results were on the first 409 people in a study that has enrolled more than 2,000 so far. All tested negative for the virus but live with someone who has COVID-19.

There were roughly half as many infections among those given the drug versus a placebo, and none on the drug developed any symptoms. Infections also were shorter and the amount of virus lower among those given the drug.

Lilly’s new results were from a study of 1,035 non-hospitalized patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19. About 2% on the drug were later hospitalized or died versus 7% of the placebo group.

Last week, Lilly said one of the two antibodies helped prevent illness among residents and staff of nursing homes in a different study. The four deaths that occurred in that study were all among those given placebo.

ESPAÑOL:

Nuevos resultados extendieron las esperanzas para medicamentos que suministran anticuerpos para combatir el coronavirus, indicando que pueden prevenir la hospitalización y posiblemente la enfermedad en algunas personas no infectadas.

Eli Lilly dijo el martes, 26 de enero, que una combinación de dos medicamentos redujo el riesgo de hospitalización o muerte a un 70% en pacientes no hospitalizados con diagnóstico reciente de COVID-19 y en riesgo elevado de enfermarse gravemente debido a la edad y otros padecimientos de salud. Las 10 muertes ocurridas en el estudio fueron en personas que recibieron un placebo en vez de los anticuerpos.

Separadamente, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. dijo que los resultados parciales de un estudio en curso indican que su combinación de drogas previene completamente infecciones sintomáticas en cohabitantes de alguien con COVID-19. Un detalle importante, la droga fue administrada en varias inyecciones en lugar de un suero. La necesidad de una infusión ha limitado grandemente el uso de medicamentos de anticuerpos en la pandemia debido a la escasez de drogas.

Ninguno de los nuevos resultados ha sido publicado ni revisado por otros cientifícos, y los de Regeneron se basaron en apenas una cuarta parte de los pacientes en su estudio y no fueron un análisis planeado previo.

Los anticuerpos son proteínas que se adjuntan a un virus y le impiden infectar células, pero tardan semanas en formarse tras una infección o vacunación. Las drogas buscan ayudar de inmediato, suministrando dosis concentradas de uno o dos anticuerpos que mostraron mejores resultados contra el coronavirus en pruebas de laboratorio.

Los reguladores estadounidenses permitieron el uso de emergencia de algunos anticuerpos de Lilly y Regeneron para casos leves o moderados de COVID-19 que no requieren hospitalización, mientras proseguían los estudios.

Las drogas están siendo probadas además para prevenir infecciones en personas con alto riesgo. Es lo que se conoce como “vacunación pasiva” porque suministra anticuerpos en lugar de provocar que el cuerpo los produzca. Ambas compañías les pidieron a los reguladores que expandan la autorización de sus drogas sobre la base de los nuevos resultados.

The Associated Press