Regeneron says Roche successfully tested manufacture of COVID-19 drug used on Trump

FILE PHOTO: George Yancopoulos, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer, poses for a photograph on the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, U.S. September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) - Roche Holding AG has completed early tests of its ability to produce large quantities of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's COVID-19 antibody treatment, putting it on track to begin manufacturing the drug once it is authorized by regulators, Regeneron's president said on Tuesday.

The experimental therapy was used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump in October. The companies aim to be able to make 2 million doses of the antibody cocktail next year, but are awaiting clearance from regulators.