Seattle Researchers Recruit Patients For Regeneron Study

SEATTLE, WA — The University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have teamed up to recruit volunteers to help test the effectiveness of an antibody cocktail created by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

The company has garnered significant publicity in the wake of President Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis after the president and his doctors said its experimental cocktail was part of his treatment plan. Despite Trump praising it as a coronavirus "cure," there is little existing scientific evidence of its effectiveness, either as a treatment or preventative measure.

According to UW Medicine, researchers will test a double antibody cocktail, called REGN-COV2, which showed "favorable results" in mice and appeared safe in an initial evaluation among 30 COVID-19 patients. Regeneron said last week that its first round of data showed reduced viral load and recovery time in non-hospitalized patients, along with some success in reducing medical visits.

The UW Medicine and Fred Hutch trial will focus on the cocktail's effectiveness in preventing infection in people who have had confirmed exposure to COVID-19 from someone in their household. The research is being done in partnership with Regeneron and the COVID-19 Prevention Network and will recruit 2,000 participants across the United States.

A separate clinical trial planned at Fred Hutch will test its ability as an early treatment for infected patients.

"As the globe surpasses 1 million reported deaths from COVID-19, it is clear that we need better tools to fight this infection," said Dr. Shelly Karuna, a Fred Hutch researcher. "Monoclonal antibodies could help us achieve an end to the pandemic."

Researchers say such antibodies, if effective, could provide immediate antiviral activity that persists for weeks.

Those interested in participating in the study must have a household member that tested positive for the coronavirus. The trial will include 10 follow-up visits at Harborview Medical Center, which will include blood samples, respiratory swabs and other exams. To learn more about enrollment, call 206-773-7129.