EMA ISSUES ADVICE ON REGENERON'S ANTIBODY COCKTAIL (CASIRIVIMAB WITH IMDEVIMAB) FOR CERTAIN COVID-19 PATIENTS
EU member states can utilize the positive CHMP opinion when making national decisions about use of the antibody cocktail, prior to a potential future EMA market authorization
Regeneron has collaborated with Roche to?develop and manufacture the antibody cocktail; Roche is responsible ex-U.S.?and has already begun distribution in the EU
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.?(NASDAQ: REGN) today announced the?European Medicines Agency's?(EMA)?Committee for Medicinal Products?for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for the company's investigational COVID-19 antibody cocktail (casirivimab with imdevimab). The CHMP recommends that the antibody cocktail, known as REGEN-COVTM?in the?U.S., can be used to treat confirmed COVID-19 in patients who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19.
"Today's endorsement by the EU's leading scientific body for medicines helps bring our antibody cocktail one step closer to even more COVID-19 patients who could benefit from it," said?George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron. "Our collaborator Roche is already in active discussions with a number of European countries following release of our data in non-hospitalized patients that showed the antibody cocktail significantly reduced virus levels within days of treatment, which was associated with significantly fewer medical visits. This is supported by preclinical data that show that our antibody cocktail effectively neutralizes emerging strains of the virus, which are becoming increasingly common in?Europe?and around the world."
The?CHMP recommendation provides a harmonized,?European Union?(EU)-level opinion on the efficacy, quality and safety of the antibody?cocktail, which can be used by EU member states when making decisions on the possible use of the antibody cocktail at a national level prior to a market authorization. Under Article 5(3) of Regulation EC 726/2004, the CHMP assessed available data in non-hospitalized patients ("outpatients") with COVID-19 as well as supportive data from other settings.
The CHMP's review took place in parallel to the EMA's ongoing rolling review process, which is used to speed up the formal marketing application assessment of a promising medicine during a public health emergency. Once finalized it will be the basis for an EU marketing authorization for the antibody cocktail. Regeneron, together with Roche, continues to work closely with the EMA as it undertakes its rolling?review.
Regeneron is?collaborating?with Roche to increase global supply of the antibody cocktail. Regeneron is responsible for development and distribution of the treatment in the?U.S., and Roche is primarily responsible for development and distribution outside the?U.S., with the first Roche-manufactured doses already being distributed. The companies share a commitment to making the antibody cocktail available to COVID-19 patients around the globe and will support access in low- and lower-middle-income countries through drug donations to be made in partnership with public health organizations.
The development and manufacturing of REGEN-COV have been funded in part with federal funds from the?Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority?(BARDA), part of the?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,?Office of the Assistant?Secretary for Preparedness and Response, under OT number: HHSO100201700020C.
About the Antibody Cocktail
The antibody cocktail, known as REGEN-COV (casirivimab with imdevimab) in the?U.S., consists of two monoclonal antibodies (also known as REGN10933 and REGN10987) and was designed specifically to block infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The two potent, virus-neutralizing antibodies that form the cocktail bind non-competitively to the critical receptor binding domain of the virus's spike protein, which diminishes the ability of mutant viruses to escape treatment and protects against spike variants that have arisen in the human population, as detailed in?Science.
In?November 2020, REGEN-COV received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the?U.S. Food and Drug Administration?(FDA) for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults, as well as in pediatric patients at least 12 years of age and weighing at least 40 kg, who have received positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing and are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. The clinical evidence from Regeneron's outpatient trial suggests that monoclonal antibodies such as casirivimab and imdevimab have the greatest benefit when given early after diagnosis and in patients who are seronegative and/or who have high viral load. The criteria for 'high-risk' patients are described in the?Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers. In the?U.S., REGEN-COV is not authorized for use in patients who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 or require oxygen therapy, or for people currently using chronic oxygen therapy because of an underlying comorbidity who require an increase in baseline oxygen flow rate due to COVID-19.
REGEN-COV continues to be evaluated in clinical trials in multiple settings for COVID-19: in non-hospitalized and certain hospitalized patients, including the open-label RECOVERY trial of hospitalized patients in the?UK, and a trial for the prevention of COVID-19 in household contacts of infected individuals. As of?February 2021, approximately 23,000 people have participated in clinical trials involving REGEN-COV. Lower doses of REGEN-COV are also being studied with the aim of increasing the number of patients who could potentially be treated if the cocktail is approved.
REGEN-COV was invented using Regeneron's?VelocImmune??technology that utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically-humanized immune system to produce optimized fully-human antibodies. When Regeneron's co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer?George D. Yancopoulos?was a graduate student with his mentor?Frederick W. Alt?in 1985, they were the first to?envision?making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing?VelocImmune??and related?VelociSuite??technologies.?Dr. Yancopoulos?and his team have used?VelocImmune?technology to create multiple antibodies including Dupixent??(dupilumab), Libtayo??(cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent??(alirocumab), Kevzara??(sarilumab), Evkeeza? (evinacumab-dgnb) and Inmazeb? (atoltivimab, maftivimab, and odesivimab-ebgn).
AUTHORIZED USE AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Authorized Emergency Use
REGEN-COV (casirivimab with imdevimab) is an investigational combination therapy and has been authorized by FDA for the emergency use described above. REGEN-COV is not FDA approved for any use and its safety and effectiveness has not yet been established for the treatment of COVID-19.
This authorized use is only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use under section 564 (b)(1) of the Act, 21?U.S.C. ? 360bbb-3(b) (1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
Limitations of Authorized Use
-- REGEN-COV is not authorized for use in patients:
- who are hospitalized due to COVID-19, OR
- who require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19, OR
- who require an increase in baseline oxygen flow rate due to COVID-19 in those on chronic oxygen therapy due to underlying non-COVID-19 related comorbidity.
- cardiovascular disease, OR
- hypertension, OR
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/other chronic respiratory disease.
- BMI =85th percentile for their age and gender based on?CDC?growth charts,?https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm,OR
- sickle cell disease, OR
- congenital or acquired heart disease, OR
- neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy), OR
- a medical-related technological dependence, for example, tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or positive pressure ventilation (not related to COVID-19), OR
- asthma, reactive airway or other chronic respiratory disease that requires daily medication for control.
- Signs and symptoms of infusion related reactions may include?fever, difficulty breathing, reduced oxygen saturation, chills, nausea, arrythmia (e.g., atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia), chest pain or discomfort, weakness, altered mental status, headache, bronchospasm, hypotension, hypertension, angioedema, throat irritation, rash including urticaria, pruritus, myalgia, dizziness, fatigue and diaphoresis. If an infusion-related reaction occurs, consider slowing or stopping the infusion and administer appropriate medications and/or supportive care.
Regeneron Contacts: | |
Media Relations Sarah Cornhill media@regeneron.com | Investor Relations Vesna Tosic investor@regeneron.com |
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SOURCE?Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.