The cocktail, which is currently undergoing clinical trials, was manufactured by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and instead seems to result in patients developing asymptomatic infections, which were shown to resolve within a week, according to interim data that has yet to be published.
Upcoming phase 3 trials are set to study if the cocktail can act as a means of passive immunization, meaning preventing infection in people exposed to COVID-19 but who have yet to actually develop the virus.
However, as it is an antibody cocktail rather than a vaccine, it is not expected to cause permanent immunity.
“This is the first treatment shown to prevent COVID-19 after a known exposure, and offers protection for unvaccinated individuals caring for a family member with COVID-19,” UVA Health’s William Petri Jr., MD, PhD, one of the leaders of the trial at UVA, said in a statement.
“We expect that Regeneron will file for Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA so that this drug can be used outside of the context of a clinical trial.”