Monoclonal Antibodies vs. Vaccines vs. COVID-19: What to Know
Aug. 26, 2021 -- The FDA authorized monoclonal antibody drugs from the companies Regeneron and Eli Lilly in November 2020, but only recently have they attracted more attention as the Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 surges across the U.S.
Clinical trials show that Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment, a combination of two antibodies called casirivimab and imdevimab, reduces COVID-19-related hospitalization or deaths in high-risk patients by about 70%. And when given to an exposed person -- like someone living with an infected person -- monoclonal antibodies reduced their risk of developing an infection with symptoms by 80%.