Regeneron drug proves effective in preventing COVID

There could be a new treatment in the fight against COVID. Regeneron said on Monday that it's pursuing U.S. approval for its COVID-19 antibody cocktail as a preventative treatment after it helped cut the risk of symptomatic infections in households where someone else is ill.

According to trial data released by the company, the drug protected household contacts exposed to COVID from ever developing symptoms in a majority of the cases with 72% protection against symptomatic infections in the first week, and 93% after that.

Regeneron has enlisted Switzerland's Roche and its massive biotech facility in South San Francisco to make around 2 million doses annually.

The cocktail already has emergency U.S. approval for patients with mild to moderate COVID, and the companies are hoping the latest trials convince regulators to expand deployment.

Medical experts say it could be useful to control outbreaks in high-risk settings where people haven't been vaccinated.