BRII-196 and BRII-198 were derived from antibodies made by people who had recovered from COVID-19. Because BRII-196 and BRII-198 target two different parts of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — the hope is that the combination therapy will improve treatment efficacy and reduce the likelihood that the virus will develop resistance to the treatment.
“The goal of ACTIV-2 is to identify treatments that can keep people who acquire COVID-19 from getting sicker and requiring hospitalization,” says Jennifer Veltman, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Loma Linda University Health. “People living in the Inland Empire area who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are not hospitalized have the opportunity to make a huge contribution by participating in this study.”
Participants will be randomized to receive either BRII-196 and BRII-198 (1000 mg each, administered as two separate infusions as a one-time dose) or placebo. As in all ACTIV-2 phase 2 studies, BRII-196 and BRII-198 will be evaluated to determine safety, antiviral activity, and ability to reduce the duration of COVID-19 symptoms over 28 days.
Researchers will also assess the correlation between changes in viral shedding and clinical outcomes, leading to a better understanding of whether effective medications can reduce or halt the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to others. Taken together, these results will help inform how these agents may be used to combat the COVID-19 epidemic.
