Prophylaxis with REGEN-COV is not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today revised the emergency use authorization (EUA) for REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together) authorizing REGEN-COV for emergency use as post-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) for COVID-19 in adults and pediatric individuals (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. REGEN-COV is not authorized for pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent COVID-19 before being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus — only after exposure to the virus.
REGEN-COV also remains authorized for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Prophylaxis with REGEN-COV is not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19. FDA has authorized three vaccines to prevent COVID-19 and serious clinical outcomes caused by COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. FDA urges you to get vaccinated, if you are eligible. Learn more about FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
REGEN-COV should only be used as post-exposure prophylaxis for individuals who are:
In general, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series (the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines) or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (the Janssen vaccine).
The CDC defines close contact as someone who has been within six feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
People should talk to their health care provider about whether the use of REGEN-COV for post-exposure prophylaxis is appropriate for them.
The primary data supporting the EUA reissuance for post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 are from a Phase 3 trial. The trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial studying a single dose of REGEN-COV for prevention of COVID-19 in household contacts of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Cases were confirmed using real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), one of the most accurate laboratory methods for detecting, tracking, and studying COVID-19. An 81% reduction in confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases was observed with REGEN-COV compared to placebo at day 29 in cases who were RT-PCR negative and seronegative at baseline (the primary analysis population). In the overall trial population, there was a 62% reduction in RT-PCR confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases in the REGEN-COV group compared to placebo at day 29.
The most common side effects were injection site reactions. The signs and symptoms of injection site reactions which occurred in at least 1% of subjects in the REGEN-COV group were skin redness (erythema), an uncomfortable, irritating sensation that creates an urge to scratch (pruritus), and ecchymosis (discoloration of the skin resulting from bleeding underneath, caused by bruising). There were no cases of severe hypersensitivity reactions, or potentially life-threatening allergic reactions (such as anaphylaxis).
People who had a previous severe allergic reaction to REGEN-COV should not use it again. Other important information for these trials including other outcomes and side effect information is available in the health care provider fact sheet.
REGEN-COV consists of the monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens, such as viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
The authorized dose for REGEN-COV for both treatment and as post-exposure prophylaxis is 600 mg of casirivimab and 600 mg of imdevimab administered together.
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Source : FDA
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