A Coronavirus Treatment Worth Watching
Regeneron is one of the few drugmakers to have successfully developed a treatment for an outbreak, and it's ahead of schedule on Covid-19.
Patients won't see a coronavirus treatment in the coming weeks or even months, but that doesn't mean one isn't coming.
Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/BloombergAs the coronavirus crisis has unfolded, we’ve seen a flood of announcements from drug companies touting potential treatments for the still incurable disease. Many have come from biotechnology companies that have never successfully developed a drug, let alone purpose-built one for an outbreak. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s announcement Tuesday that its development efforts are ahead of schedule — so much so that it may be able to start human trials in early summer — is an exception that should provoke measured optimism.
There's still a long road ahead and a lot of uncertainty. Even in a best-case scenario, a drug won't be tested for months and broad availability is even farther away. But if Covid-19 sticks around, there's at least a chance a Regeneron drug will be a tool used to fight it. In addition to developing blockbuster medicines, Regeneron has a demonstrated ability to respond to outbreaks.