THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT,
GERRI WILLIS.
ENTER MY NEXT GUEST, A KEY
PLAYER IN ALL OF THIS, GEORGE
YANCOPOLOS, REGENERON COFOUNDER,
PRESIDENT, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC
OFFICER.
FULL DISCLOSURE WITH THIS
GENTLEMAN’S FINE COMPANY, I TOOK
HIS MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY
TREATMENT FOR COVID JUST A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU, DOCTOR,
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS
LATEST ANTIBODY DRUG THAT
APPARENTLY IS SHOWING SOME
PRETTY INCREDIBLE EFFICACY GOING
OUT EIGHT MONTHS AT A MINIMUM.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
>> WELL, NEIL, FIRST OF ALL,
THANKS FOR HAVING US ON.
SECOND AS YOU GUYS WERE TALKING
ABOUT, VACCINES ARE A VERY
POWERFUL WAY TO BROADLY PROTECT
THE POPULATION.
YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT SOME
OF THE RECENT DATA, VERY
EXCITING.
THE PROBLEM IS, AS WE’RE ALL
RECOGNIZING IS THERE ARE GAPS IN
THE COVERAGE PROVIDED BY THE
VACCINE, AND AS YOU KNOW VERY
WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN A BIG
SPOKESMAN FOR IT, THE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED ARE
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE, ESTIMATED
BETWEEN FIVE AND 10 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO WILL NOT RESPOND
TO THE VACCINE.
THEY WILL NOT MAKE THE
ANTIBODIES THE VACCINE IS
DESIGNED TO DO, THE ANTIBODIES
THAT PROTECT YOU.
THE QUESTION WHAT CAN WE DO FOR
THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE ALL THE
STUDIES SHOW, FROM
JOHNS HOPKINS, OTHER STUDIES
SHOW THE PEOPLE ARE NOT
PROTECTED BY THE VACCINE AND
THEY ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
TO GETTING VERY SERIOUS DISEASE
THAT CAN HOSPITALIZE THEM AND
EVEN KILL THEM.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THEM?
OUR DRUGS IS THE ANTIBODIES THAT
THE VACCINE IS DESIGNED TO MAKE
THE BODY PRODUCE.
WE MADE THOSE ANTIBODIES, WE CAN
GIVE THEM AS A SUBSTITUTE TO THE
PEOPLE NOT SATISFACTORILY MAKING
A RESPONSE TO THE VACCINE.
IT’S A WAY TO PROTECT THESE
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
SO OUR ANTIBODY HAS ALREADY BEEN
APPROVED TO TREAT PEOPLE WHO
HAVE, FDA AUTHORIZED TO TREAT
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY
INFECTED, OR, FOR EXAMPLE,
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE EXPOSED
TO SOMEBODY ALREADY INFECTED.
THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO HAVE
A VACCINE FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
WHO RESPONDED TO VACCINE.
THAT IS WHY THE DATA IS SO
EXCITING.
A SINGLE ADMINISTRATION OF THESE
ANTIBODIES WILL PROTECT PEOPLE
FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS, PRETTY
MUCH AS WELL AS A VACCINE DOES.
NOW THIS IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE
POTENTIALLY FOR ALL OF THOSE
POOR PEOPLE, THE MOST VULNERABLE
AMONGST US, THE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED WHO DON’T
RESPOND TO VACCINE, WE CAN GIVE
THEM ESSENTIALLY WHAT IS CALLED
A PASSIVE VACCINE.
WE CAN GIVE THEM OUR ANTIBODIES,
SINGLE ADMINISTRATION WILL WORK
MANY MONTH.
YOU CAN IMAGINE DOSING, ONCE OR
A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR TO
PROTECT THEM JUST LIKE A VACCINE
OR A BOOSTER DOES.
SO IT’S A GREAT ALTERNATIVE FOR
THESE WHO ARE PARTICULARLY
VULNERABLE.
WE APPLIED MANY MONTHS AGO TO
THE FDA FOR THE POTENTIAL USE,
PROVIDE PROTECTION TORE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED BUT RECENT
DATA SAYS A SINGLE
ADMINISTRATION LAST AS VERY LONG
TIME, MAKES IT VERY PLAUSIBLE
AND CONVENIENT AS A WAY TO DEAL
WITH THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
WHO ARE NOT RESPONDING TO THE
VACCINE AND SO NOW WE ARE
UPDATING OUR FILING WITH THE
FDA.
WE REALLY HOPE THAT THEY CAN ACT
SOONER RATHER THAN LATER BECAUSE
THERE ARE SOME, AS YOU KNOW, AS
WELL AS ANYBODY, SO MANY
DESPERATE PEOPLE WHO NEED
SOMETHING, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
PEOPLE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE
SCLEROSIS, CERTAIN CANCERS,
LYMPHOMA, THEY NEED SOMETHING TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THE
VACCINE DOESN’T WORK.
THEY ARE PARTICULARLY
VULNERABLE.
THEY CANNOT GO OUT FEELING
COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THEY DON’T
HAVE THE ANTIBODIES THE VACCINE
GIVES THEM SO WE CAN GIVE THEM
THE ANTIBODIES, THE LATEST DATA,
ONE SHOT A YEAR OR MAY BE ENOUGH
TO PROTECT THEM.
NEIL: EVEN IF THEY’RE VACCINATED
OR NOT THIS IS LIKE AN INSURANCE
TREATMENT, HOW WOULD YOU
DESCRIBE IT, DOCTOR?
>> THE PROBLEM IS, IS STUDIES
NOW SHOW FOR A LOT OF THE
IMMUNOCOME PREMICED, EVEN IF
THEY HAVE BEEN VACCINATED THEY
JUST DON’T RESPOND.
THEIR BODY DOESN’T MAKE THE
NORMAL ANTIBODIES NORMAL PEOPLE
MAKE.
DESPITE VACCINATION, THEY ARE
STILL VULNERABLE AND CAN GET
SICK, HOSPITALIZED AND EVEN DIE.
WHAT WE’RE DOING IS GIVING THEM
WHAT THE VACCINE IS INTENDED TO
ELICIT FROM THE BODY, THAT IS
ANTIBODIES.
WE’RE LITERALLY GIVING THEM A
SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT THE VACCINE
IS DESIGNED TO GIVE THEM,
PROTECTION AND --
NEIL: I’M SORRY, DOCTOR, THE
COVID ANTIBODY DRUG YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT, HOW IS IT
ADMINISTERED?
IS IT INJECTED INTO YOU?
INJECTED LIKE A MONOCLONAL
ANTIBODY TREATMENT?
HOW IS IT ADMINISTERED.
>> ORIGINALLY IT IS A INFUSION.
IT HAS TO DIRECTLY GO INTO YOUR
VAIN.
NEIL: RIGHT.
>> WE’VE ACTUALLY SHOWN, THE
LATEST STUDY WITH SUBCUTANEOUS
ADMINISTRATION.
A SIMPLE INJECTION THAT MILLIONS
OF AMERICANS DO DAILY, THE
PEOPLE WHO GIVE THEMSELVES
INSULIN, THAT SIMPLE INJECTION
CAN BE USED ACTUALLY TO PROVIDE
THIS PROTECTION FOR ALL THOSE
PEOPLE WHO CANNOT RESPOND TO THE
VACCINE.
NEIL: DOCTOR, WHAT IS IT ABOUT
COVID?
I KNOW WE’RE STILL, WE
DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW EVERY
DAY, WHERE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
A VACCINE WANES OVER TIME?
NOW YOU KEEP IT GOING IN THIS
PARTICULAR CASE, MINIMUM EIGHT
MONTHS, THAT IS CERTAINLY GOOD
NEWS.
THE IDEA OF FOLLOW UP BOOSTER
SHOTS.
SHOULD WE TREAT THIS LIKE THE
COMMON FLU, YEARLY SHOTS, IS
THAT THE WAY WE’RE GOING TO GO
WITH COVID?
BECAUSE AFTER A WHILE IT IS NOT
LIKE A ONE-SHOT DEAL WITH
MEASLES OR MUMPS OR CHICKEN POX
OR AILMENTS TO A LOT OF YOUNGER
PEOPLE TODAY, OR WILL THIS
REQUIRE YOU KNOW, ANNUAL, OR
EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS TREATMENT?
>> YES.
CERTAINLY WE WERE ALL HOPING
THAT WIDESPREAD VACCINATION
WOULD RESULT PERMANENT,
ULTIMATELY HERD IMMUNITY AND WE
COULD PUT THIS ALL BEHIND US.
UNFORTUNATELY AS YOU SUMMARIZE,
THE DATA SUGGESTS BOTH IN THE
PEOPLE WHO DO RESPOND FOR A LOT
OF THEM, PARTICULARLY THE
ELDERLY AND SO FORTH, IMMUNITY
THEY GET FROM THE VACCINE WANES
OVER TIME, SO THEY WILL NEED TO
GET PERIODIC BOOSTERS.
AND ALSO WE’VE OF COURSE
LEARNED, WHICH IS ALSO THE CASE
FOR OTHER VACCINATIONS THAT THE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED JUST WILL NOT
RESPOND TO THE VACCINE AND THEY
REMAIN VULNERABLE.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE TO TAKE ALL
OF THESE TOOLS, ALL OF THESE
WEAPONS WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US
TO FIGHT BACK.
WHETHER IT BE VACCINES GIVEN
PROBABLY ON A REGULAR BASIS, SAY
BOOSTERS.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL
REGIMENS WILL BE, SAY YEARLY OR
SO FORTH, BUT THE GOOD NEWS
COMING FROM OUR WORK AND FROM
OUR RECENT TRIALS IS THAT NOW,
FOR ALL THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM, THE
VACCINE IS GOING TO WORK, FOR
95% OF THE POPULATION BUT FOR
THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE THE
IMMUNE CAPABILITY TO RESPOND TO
VACCINE THERE IS NOW AN
ALTERNATIVE WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH
ANALOGOUS TO THE VACCINE.
YOU WILL HAVE TO GET NOT A
BOOSTER BUT ESSENTIALLY A
PASSIVE VACCINATION TWICE A YEAR
OR MAYBE FOUR TIMES A YEAR AND
THEN YOU WILL BE AS PROTECTED AS
YOU ARE FROM A VACCINE FOR ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LYMPHOMA OR
MYELOMA OR IMMUNOCOME PREMICED
OR MS, RECEIVING CERTAIN
TREATMENTS, THEY NOW HAVE A WAY
TO BE PROTECTED BECAUSE THEY
COULDN’T BE PROTECTED WITH THE
VACCINE.
SO THAT IS THE BIG NEWS.
NEIL: YOU’RE QUITE RIGHT,
DOCTOR, IT IS INCREDIBLE.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I DISCOVERED ACCIDENTALLY, I HAD
NO IDEA, BY JUST TELLING PEOPLE
IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO GET
VACCINATED I WAS DRAWN INTO A
POLITICAL ARGUMENT.
THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION.
YOU’RE BETTER FOR YOURSELF AND
THOSE AROUND YOU WHO COULD BE
VULNERABLE TO THIS IF YOU ARE
VACCINATED BUT OF COURSE YOU
WOULD THINK I WAS LUCIFER HERE
BUT I DID WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE
ON PEOPLE WHO READ OF MY
EXPERIENCE, LOOK, NEIL WAS
VACCINATED STILL GOT IT.
COLIN POWELL WAS VACCINATED.
HE WAS 84 YEARS OLD, HE WAS
DEALING WITH A SEPARATE CANCER.
NO MANY TIMES YOU TELL PEOPLE,
WOULD HEAR FROM QUITE A FEW
MANY, STILL DO, IT IS NOT WORTH
IT.
YOU STILL GET THE DAMN THING.
WHAT DO YOU SAY, DOCTOR, TO THAT
CROWD, THAT CROWD THAT SAYS NO
WAY IN HELL AM I GOING TO GET
SOMETHING THAT WON’T DO THE JOB?
>> WELL, YOU GET RIGHT TO THE
CORE OF WHY IT IS SO GREAT THAT
THE BIOPHARMA INDUSTRY DELIVERED
ALL THESE WEAPONS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO USE THE RIGHT
TOOL FOR THE RIGHT PROBLEM.
PROBABLY YOUR SITUATION, I DON’T
KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL
HISTORY, SO I’M JUST
SPECULATING, THE SAME WITH COLIN
POWELL, IF PEOPLE, HAVE FOR
EXAMPLE, MYELOMA, LIKE COLIN
POWELL HAD, HAD A LOT OF
TREATMENTS THAT AFFECT YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM, OR IN YOUR CASE,
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED BUT YOU’RE NOT THE
RIGHT PERSON FOR A VACCINE IF
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN’T RESPOND
TO THE VACCINE.
THESE ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
PEOPLE, WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS,
MYELOMA, OTHER CANCERS, THEY
CAN’T BE PROTECTED BY THE
VACCINE.
THAT IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT
WE HAVE THE A VACCINE.
TO MAKE YOUR BODY, ANTIBODIES
AGAINST THE VIRUS, SOME PEOPLE,
I DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS, PEOPLE
WHO GET SICK A LOT OF THEM ARE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED BECAUSE
THEY’RE NOT AFFECTED BY THE
VACCINE, THEY DON’T MAKE THEIR
OWN ANTIBODIES.
WE MAKE THE ANTIBODIES THAT THE
ANTIBODIES CAN’T MAKE.
WE CAN GIVE THEM BACK TO THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN’T BE
PROTECTED.
SO IT IS VACCINATION FOR THE
BROADEST POPULATION.
ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTACT
IMMUNE SYSTEMS, HOPEFULLY IT
WILL WORK FOR THEM.
BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THERE
WILL BE A PERCENTAGE OF THE
POPULATION, ABOUT 5% OR SO, FOR
WHOM VACCINATION DOES NOT WORK.
FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THE GOOD NEWS,
IS WE HAVE THIS ALTERNATIVE.
WE CAN GIVE YOU THE ANTIBODIES
THAT YOUR BODY IS NOT MAKING.
SO WE CAN PROTECT YOU PRETTY
MUCH AS WELL AS THE VACCINE
DOES.
SO SOME PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE
HEARING ABOUT, SICK AND DYING
BECAUSE AFTER VACCINATION,
BECAUSE IT IS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED,
THEIR BODY DID NOT RESPOND TO
THE VACCINE.
WE HAVE ALL THE DATA FOR THOSE
PEOPLE, CAN BE A VACCINE
SUBSTITUTE, CAN SAVE THEM.
WE HAVE TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS
FOR THE RIGHT POPULATIONS.
BROADLY VACCINATE.
IT WILL HELP ALL THE PEOPLE WITH
INTACT IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
FOR THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE INTACT
IMMUNE SYSTEMS HERE IS A VIABLE
ALTERNATIVE COUPLE TIMES A YEAR,
FOUR TIMES A YEAR, YOU GET THE
PASSIVE VACCINE, THE REGEN
MONOCLONE MALL ANTIBODY.
WE HOPE THE FDA WILL AGREE
PARTICULARLY WITH OUR UPDATED
DATA WE’RE ABOUT TO SUBMIT MAKE
IT AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE,
THOSE AMONG US WHO ARE
IMMUNOCOME PREMICED.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE FDA
COULD POSSIBLY ACT.
HOLIDAYS ARE COMING.
GREAT TO PUT SO MANY PEOPLE AT
EASE.
SO MANY UNDERSTAND THE RISK
THEY’RE UNDER.
THEY’RE NOT RESUMING THE NORMAL
LIVES.
THEY’RE STAYING AWAY FROM DAILY
ROUTINES.
THEY’RE TRULY PRISONERS OF THE
PANDEMIC.
THEY’RE THE MOST VULNERABLE
AMONGST US.
WE NOW BELIEVE OUR DATA SUGGESTS
WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THESE
PEOPLE BUT SO THE RIGHT TOOL,
FOR THE RIGHT APPROACH, THE
RIGHT MEDICINE FOR THE RIGHT
CASE, FOR THE BROAD POPULATION
THAT HAS GOOD IMMUNE SYSTEMS,
GET THEM ALL THE VACCINE. FOR THE SMALL PERCENTAGE WHO
FOR THE SMALL PERCENTAGE WHO
DON’T GET THEM, REGENNCOV OR
OTHER MONOCLONAL TREATMENTS.
NEIL: WE HAVE THE REGENERON
COFOUNDER, AND PRESIDENT.
SUBSET OF POPULATION, 5%.
AS I TOLD MY WIFE QUICKLY