Today’s first Virtual #RegeneronISEF session is on fighting #COVID19 with #science, moderated by @ScienceNews’s @NancyShute & featuring @Regeneron scientists Christos Kyratsous, Leah Lipsich, & Serge Monpoeho. https://bit.ly/3bhTWM3 

Christos Kyratsous is the Vice President of Research, Infectious Diseases and Viral Vector Technologies. #RegeneronISEF

Leah Lipsich is the Vice President of Strategic Program Direction, Global Development. #RegeneronISEF

Serge Monpoeho is the Senior Director, Quality Control and Chief Virologist. #RegeneronISEF

Thrilled to have these @Regeneron scientists with us today & hear about the exciting work they're doing to combat #COVID19!

Q: When did you first realize that this particular virus was going to become a global threat? #RegeneronISEF

Leah Lipsich: In January we started seeing reports about the coronavirus. We started getting concerned & marshaled our resources in research & development to be prepare, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. #RegeneronISEF

Q: One of things you're looking closely at is a treatment that @Regeneron developed for Ebola virus. How might that have the possibility for treating a completely different virus? #RegeneronISEF

Christos Kyratsous: Although the viruses are different from one another, we're using the same technologies that we've applied before, which gives us confidence that we can do it again. #RegeneronISEF

Q: Antibodies are something we have in our body that fights viruses. But you're making a customized antibody. How's that different from the antibodies that we have in ourselves? #RegeneronISEF

Christos Kyratsous: When humans are infected, their immune systems react by making antibodies. We’re mimicking the exact same process in humanized mice & selecting the most potent antibodies out of those. #RegeneronISEF

Leah Lipsich on drug trials that fail: It's very important that you learn even in a study that gives disappointing results. You learn what to do with that data & move it on to the next step. Even a disappointing result tells you a lot. #RegeneronISEF