Drug that cured Donald Trump's coronavirus effective on UK, South African variants

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, whose “miraculous” experimental drug-treated former US President Donald Trump of COVID-19, has now said that the same treatment was effective against the UK and South African variants of coronavirus. In an announcement made on January 27, the company asserted that its “antibody cocktail” reduced deaths in non hospitalised patients of COVID-19 with mild to moderate syptoms. The REGEN-COV2, drug has already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA  in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients and its use is expected to see and expansion following the announcement. 

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REGEN-COV2, is a cocktail of two potential neutralizing antibodies called imdevimab and casirivimab. Earlier in September, the company had claimed that the cocktail reduced viral levels and improved symptoms of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. To test its efficacy against virus mutations, the company gave the synthetic antibody treatment to two groups of patients. The first category included those who produced an effective immune response on their own (seropositive), and those whose immune response was not yet adequate (seronegative). In the aftermath, the company concluded that the latter group, seronegative, if treated with the Regeneron Antibody drugs, had a lower risk of death or need for mechanical ventilation. The study has now been submitted for review.

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'Could be effective against Brazil variant' 

In addendum, the company also touted that the drug was effective against the recently discovered Brazilian mutation of the virus. However, a study to prove it was still underway.

"With two complementary antibodies in one therapeutic, even if one has reduced potency, the risk of the cocktail losing efficacy is significantly diminished "We have hundreds of additional potent, neutralising antibodies in our labs that could form new combinations that might be useful against future variants," George Yancopoulos, Regeneron's president and chief scientific officer said in a statement.

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Since its beginning in the Chinese city of  Wuhan in December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic has killed over two million people across the naTIONS, In addendum, it has infected over 100 million with new mutations still arising. Earlier this month, Germany had confirmed that it had ordered 200,000 doses of the experimental drug. While nothing is known about the manufacturers of the “miraculous” treatment yet, German health minister, on January 23, confirmed the deal. Speaking to a local newspaper, Jens Spahn revealed that the country had bought 200,000 doses for a whopping amount of 400 million euros.