A combination antibody treatment for preventing COVID-19 illness in individuals who have had sustained exposure to someone with the virus is being studied by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The clinical trial is enrolling patients at Harris Health System’s Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital.
The Phase III, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial will help researchers determine if the laboratory-made dual-antibody treatment, REGN-COV2, can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals who share a home with someone with a confirmed infection.
“If this trial demonstrates that this treatment is effective, it could be used in various settings where exposure risk is heightened, such as health care, airlines, meatpacking factories, nursing homes, and among first responders,” said Roberto C. Arduino, MD, the study’s lead investigator and professor of infectious disease with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “It is crucial that we discover treatment options that can not only prevent severe illness, but also stop the spread of COVID-19 within our communities.”