It is a combination of monoclonal antibodies and in October 2020 it ended up in the spotlight of the world because it was one of the therapies used to treat former US president Donald Trump, after the discovery of his positivity to Covid-19. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) updates its clinical care guidelines to include treatment and recommends Regeneron mix for two specific patient groups (currently the only monoclonal mix on the list drugs for which recommendations have been made).
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At the same time, however, the treatment that combines the casirivimab and imdevimab antibodies also becomes the subject of a heartfelt appeal by the WHO, which asks for action on several fronts to ensure that equal access is guaranteed. The main brakes? “Limited production and high price”. The combination has been recommended for patients with non-severe Covid-19 who are at higher risk of hospitalization and for patients who have already deteriorated or are in critical condition and are seronegative, i.e. have not developed antibodies. The update has been defined by a working group, made up of international experts and patients, which deals with the development of the guidelines and the content is published in the journal ‘BMJ’. The recommendation for use to prevent severe disease in high-risk patients is based on new evidence from 3 studies not yet peer-reviewed, showing that casirivimab and imdevimab likely reduce the risk of hospitalization and duration of symptoms in non-peer-reviewed patients. vaccinated, elderly, or immunosuppressed patients. The second recommendation is based on data from the Recovery study showing how casirivimab and imdevimab can reduce deaths (ranging from 49 fewer in 1,000 in critically ill to 87 fewer in critically ill) and the need for mechanical ventilation in seronegative patients. “For all other Covid patients – we read on Bmj – it is unlikely that the benefits of this treatment with antibodies are significant”.
WHO “welcomes the addition of another therapy to the global arsenal against Covid, but urges manufacturers and governments to address the issue of the cost and availability of the Regeneron antibody combination and ensure the safety and correct manipulation of the medicine »the UN agency highlighted in a note.