Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced last week that its experimental two-antibody cocktail reduced viral levels and improved symptoms in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The treatment, REGN-COV2, is also being studied for use in hospitalized patients, and for prevention of infection in people who have been exposed to COVID-19.  The FDA can authorize emergency use of a drug before completing its review for a formal approval. Analysts believe that the Regeneron cocktail could work in a hospital setting where the patient is already severely ill and has a high viral load. Trial results for the first 275 patients showed the biggest effect in…

A common drug, already approved by the FDA, may also be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19, according to research published this week. Heparin could be used as a decoy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses a surface spike protein to latch onto human cells and initiate infection. But heparin, a blood thinner also available in non-anticoagulant varieties, binds tightly with the surface spike protein, potentially blocking the infection from happening. This makes it a decoy, which might be introduced into the body using a nasal spray or nebulizer and run interference…