Jun 4, 2021 - Health

FDA authorizes Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody treatment for injection

Jacob Knutson

Headquarters of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, New York, in 2020. — Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a lower dose of Regeneron’s coronavirus treatment for injection, the company announced Friday.

Why it matters: The update to the company's emergency use authorization, which was first issued in November, will make it easier for doctors to administer the treatment to coronavirus patients, since they can now do so by simple injection rather than intravenous infusion.

The big picture: Health officials have said Regeneron’s monoclonal antibodies drug has been underused partly because not all clinics and hospitals are equipped to administer intravenous infusions, according to the Wall Street Journal.

What they're saying: "Despite increased use of vaccines, thousands of patients are still becoming infected in the U.S. every day, with many at high risk of serious complications from COVID-19," George D. Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer at Regeneron, said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, to date only a fraction of patients eligible for antibody treatments have received them, which we hope will change based on this updated FDA authorization."

Go deeper: Why coronavirus patients aren't getting a promising treatment

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FDA authorizes Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody treatment for injection

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