WHO Green‑Lights @Regeneron and @Roche’s Covid Antibody Duo
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) gave the thumbs‑up for Regeneron’s and Roche’s antibody cocktail to help folks at high risk of hospitalisation—or those who’re already in the thick of it but don’t have natural antibodies in their bloodstream.
Why it matters
- The medicine is hot‑wired and has already earned a US emergency‑use authorisation. It even made headlines when it was used to treat ex‑President Donald Trump’s Covid bout last year.
- Europe is still weighing the option, but Britain moved in last month.
- Despite the cost, the panel stressed, “If the therapy is as effective as the data shows, we should push the universe to make it financially and geographically accessible.”
Calls for Fairness
The WHO urged Regeneron to cut prices and ensure the drug reaches low‑ and middle‑income countries. It also asked the companies to share the tech—so biosimilars can pop up worldwide.
The Numbers
- In Q2, Regeneron pulled in roughly US$2.59 billion (S$3.5 billion) from sales of Ronapreve (also known as REGEN‑COV in the US).
- Regeneron will ship an extra 1.4 million doses to the US government by Jan. 31, at about US$2,100 each.
MSF Joins the Band
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) echoed the UN’s stance, insisting that life‑saving drugs must be affordable and sustainably accessible for everyone.
Guidelines (Published in BMJ)
The new WHO guidance leaned on data from a large British study and three other trials still under peer review.
- In June, Britain’s RECOVERY trial found the therapy cut deaths among hospitalised patients whose own immune systems stalled.
- Each cocktail contains casirivimab and imdevimab—monoclonal antibodies that mimic the body’s own defenders.
So, if you’re looking for a rush of hope against Covid, this regimen is now on the WHO’s “yes” list—just make sure you’re in a place that can actually get it.
