Donald Trump's coronavirus 'cure' effective on UK, South African variants

When the former US PresidentDonald Trumpgot infected by the deadly coronavirus, he claimed to have tried experimental Regeneron's synthetic antibody treatment, which reportedly worked as a magical cure against the virus.

Now, the company has said that itremains effective against the British and South African variants of the novel coronavirus, the US biotechnology company announced Wednesday.

The USFood and Drug Administration last month issued emergency use authorisation for the antibody therapy for use in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients who are not currently hospitalised.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

REGEN-COV,featuring potent neutralising antibodies called imdevimab and casirivimab,remained effective against both variants, the company said in a statement, although casirivimab's potency against the South African variant was "reduced."

The drugmaker said in September the cocktail reduced viral levels and improved symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Study participants included those who produced an effective immune response on their own (seropositive), and those whose immune response was not yet adequate (seronegative).

Seronegative patients treated with the antibody cocktail had a lower risk of death or needing mechanical ventilation, the company said.

Scientists from New York's Columbia University arrived at the same conclusion, and their study has been submitted for peer review.

The study's "pre-publication," however, presents more worrying results concerning another synthetic antibody, bamlanivimab: It is "inactive" against the South African variant, according to researchers.

This antibody is used in the treatment developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, which has also been approved for emergency use in the US.

Bamlanivimab will likely also be ineffective against the new Brazilian variant, since it presents mutations similar to the South African variant, scientists said.

Regeneron expects its antibody treatment will be effective against the Brazilian variant. Studies are underway to confirm this.

"These data show the continued ability of REGEN-COV to neutralise emerging strains, further validating our multi-antibody cocktail approach to infectious diseases," said George Yancopoulos, Regeneron's president and chief scientific officer.

"With two complementary antibodies in one therapeutic, even if one has reduced potency, the risk of the cocktail losing efficacy is significantly diminished.

"We have hundreds of additional potent, neutralising antibodies in our labs that could form new combinations that might be useful against future variants," he added.

Like all viruses, SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, mutates constantly as it reproduces.

But the mutation observed in the South African variant is particularly worrying to scientists due to its ability to bypass the remedies developed so far.

The US had confirmed 308 cases of the British variant as of January 26 and one case of the Brazilian variant, Rochelle Walensky, the new head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

No cases of the South African variant have yet to be confirmed in the US.