Given omicron's apparent ability to evade most antibody drugs, the pause in distribution of Regeneron's and Lilly's treatments is not unexpected and mirrors similar decisions in response to previous variants. But it's a significant setback, especially as it affects both drugs.
Synthetic antibodies have been some of the best tools doctors have to keep COVID-19 patients out of hospitals and alive, even though use has been sporadic and uneven. Both showed in clinical trials a dramatic ability to prevent COVID-19's worst health outcomes. While Lilly's drug has struggled against some earlier variants like beta and gamma, it and Regeneron's were still effective against delta, making them important countermeasures during the summer surge.
Some 2.7 million treatment courses have been administered since July, Jeff Zients, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, said in a briefing Wednesday.
Omicron, though, has proved a more worrisome threat due to the large number of mutations in its spike protein, the target for Regeneron's and Lilly's drugs. Those changes have also created a challenge for vaccine makers, many of which have produced data showing that booster shots are needed to maintain protection against infection.
But vaccines, even with just two shots, appear to still guard people from severe disease as vaccination helps the body produce a broader array of immune defenders. The situation is different for antibody drugs, which don't help if they can't grasp the virus and stop it from infecting cells.
That appears to be the case for Regeneron and Lilly. Both have said they are developing newer antibodies, but they won't be ready for months, leaving the U.S. vulnerable as omicron surges nationwide.
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