How Effective Are Antibody Treatments For COVID-19?

Short Wave

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4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 December 2020

⏱️ 12 minutes

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Summary

The FDA has issued emergency use authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 – one produced by Eli Lilly and another by Regeneron. As science correspondent Richard Harris explains, emergency use authorization doesn't assure that these new drugs are effective, but that their potential benefits are likely to outweigh the risks. So today, we get to the bottom of how this type of treatment works and if they'll really make a difference.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to shortwave from NPR.
0:06.2	Maddie Sifai here with science correspondent Richard Harris, Hi Richard.
0:09.4	Hey Maddie.
0:11.0	So COVID vaccines have been getting a ton of attention lately.
0:15.4	But you're here to talk to us about a treatment for COVID that was recently authorized.
0:20.0	That's right last month.
0:22.0	Another critical breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus.
0:25.2	The FDA cleared Regeneron's antibody treatment for emergency use, giving patients-
0:30.3	FDA has authorized emergency use of the first antibody drug to help the immune system fight
0:35.6	COVID-19.
0:37.0	The drug from Eli Lilly is cleared for people-
0:39.8	So we've got two now, one from the drug company Regeneron and one from the drug company
0:43.7	Eli Lilly.
0:44.9	Both Regeneron and Eli Lilly are currently testing the treatments on humans and clinical
0:48.8	trials.
0:49.8	They both use something called monoclonal antibodies.
0:52.6	In other words, antibodies that specifically target and neutralize the coronavirus.
0:57.7	Yes, and it's important to note that this drug was approved by the FDA under what's
1:01.2	called emergency use authorization, which means there's no real formal seal of approval
1:06.2	that the treatment is truly effective, just that its potential benefits are likely to
1:10.9	outweigh the potential risks.
1:12.6	Right, and this is just one of multiple potential treatments we have for this virus at this
	...

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