Regeneron has partnered with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) to develop a gene therapy nasal delivery system for its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, casirivimab and imdevimab, which received an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA last month for mild-to-moderately ill coronavirus patients at high risk.

The collaboration aims to use adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver the gene therapy.  Regeneron’s antibody therapy, REGN-COV2, is currently delivered via intravenous infusion, but the New York-based drugmaker is exploring alternate delivery methods.

“The advantage of AAV in this application is that it can achieve sustained expression of the antibodies in the nasal mucosa, which is the site of infection, following a single administration,” said UPenn’s lead researcher James Wilson.