Sanofi and Regeneron to Expand Testing of Potential Coronavirus Treatment

Sanofi and Regeneron are testing the drug Kevzara, which is currently being used to treat arthritis, as a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients. The clinical trials involving patients, who are hospitalized and have serious complications from the infection, were started in the U.S. last month. This week, the clinical trials were expanded to countries outside the U.S. These trials are being conducted to evaluate the drug’s impact on reducing fever and patients’ need for supplemental oxygen as part of the first segment. In addition to this, the second segment of this trial will focus on preventing death and reducing the need for mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen, and hospitalization.

Kevzara reported global sales of US$207 million in 2019, with U.S. accounting for around 60 percent of the revenues.

As of today, there are around 1.3 million cases and more than 69,000 deaths due to COVID-19 globally. On 31^st March, the White House coronavirus taskforce projected that there could be 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, even after following the social distancing guidelines.

Currently, there are no approved vaccines or coronavirus treatments for the patients suffering from coronavirus. It has become extremely crucial to find a treatment soon as reports suggest that the development of a vaccine will take at least 12-18 months.

Some of the other drugs that are being tested as potential Coronavirus Treatments for COVID-19 are as follows:

• Gilead Sciences Inc. is evaluating the efficacy of the antiviral drug ‘Remdesivir’ for the treatment of adults diagnosed with COVID-19


• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global clinical trial to repurpose already approved drugs. The approved drugs that are being studied are remdesivir, the malaria medications chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir and ritonavir, which is the combination of two HIV drugs.


• The antiviral drug, Favipiravir, is being tested for the Coronavirus treatments of COVID-19 in Japan


• Roche has started trials to evaluate Actemra (tocilizumab) for the treatment of pneumonia associated with COVID-19