New COVID-19 Antibody Treatments
By Annette Pinder
The FDA recently issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for an investigational monoclonal antibody therapy called bamlanivimab for adult and pediatric patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, who have tested positive for COVID19. EUA is not the same as FDA approval. Rather, it is based on the FDA examining data and concluding, based on evidence, that the treatment benefits outweigh its potential risks during an emergency.
Bamlanivimab is authorized for use in COVID patients 12 years of age or older who weigh at least 88 pounds and are who are at high risk for progressing to a severe case of COVID-19 that might require hospitalization. This includes those who are 65 years of age or older, or who have certain chronic medical conditions, including obesity.
Bamlanivimab should be administered as soon as possible after a person tests positive for the virus, and within 10 days of developing symptoms. The treatment consists of a single powerful antibody that helps keep the infection in check by reducing the amount of virus in the body. It has helped reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations in patients receiving it early in the course of their disease. It is the same treatment that Governor Chris Christie received early in his treatment and similar to the monoclonal antibody cocktail that President Trump received.
Bamlanivimab must be administered by health care providers intravenously as a single dose. It comes with fact sheets that provide important information for health care providers, patients, and caregivers, that include dosing instructions, potential side effects, and drug interactions. It is just one of the important treatments that is helping to save lives as researchers continue to make progress in finding effective COVID-19 treatments.
