Regeneron’s monoclonal antibodies grant months of protection from Covid-19 and could be administered to individuals whose immune systems aren’t shielded enough by vaccines, CEO Len Schleifer told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Monday.
Schleifer’s comments came after Regeneron released data that indicated its one-dose antibody cocktail cut the risk of catching the virus by nearly 82% for two to eight months. Regeneron’s monoclonals have been administered intravenously to treat up to moderate Covid symptoms during the pandemic and lower the chances for hospitalization in high-risk patients, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
“If you want to protect people on a population level, vaccines are the best way to go – they’re cheap and you can make billions of doses,” Schleifer said. “But our data now indicates that antibodies are the key player in the sense that they are sufficient.”
“You might not need the cellular immunity. It might add something, but antibodies are sufficient based on these data to protect you from getting Covid-19,” he added.