By Destiny Bezrutczyk April 21, 2021
COVID-19
Patients Avoid Hospitalization Using Cancer Treatment Drugs
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the wide range of potential
side effects and unpredictable levels of severity have been constant fears for
healthcare providers. For people with underlying health conditions (also called
chronic medical disorders) like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart or lung disease, covid symptoms can be severe enough to
require hospitalization and, for some patients, ventilator support. To prevent
light to moderate symptoms from getting worse, doctors are now prescribing a
new type of cancer treatment drug known as monoclonal antibodies (mAb).
According to nationwide data, 80% to 90% of patients who receive
monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 avoid hospitalization.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three mAB
treatments under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for patients 12 years or
older with a mild to moderate covid infection. Additionally, these patients
must be at risk for developing more severe (and possibly fatal) symptoms of the
virus – typically people aged 65 or over and anyone with underlying health
conditions.
The treatments given EUA approval include:
·
Bamlanivimab alone
·
Bamlanivimab plus
etesevimab
·
Casirivimab plus
imdevimab (REGEN-COV®)
What
Are Monoclonal Antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies are a type of targeted therapy, typically used to treat cancers that
no longer respond to standard treatments (like chemotherapy). The drugs are designed to target
specific areas on a virus (usually, proteins on the surface) to help the immune
system identify and block invaders. Typically, monoclonal antibodies to treat
covid are given as a single intravenous infusion followed by an hour of
observation.
You may have heard of pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) or nivolumab
(Opdivo®) – mAb treatments commonly used to improve prognoses among patients with certain types of
cancer. Similarly, the COVID-19 treatments above developed by pharmaceutical
companies Regeneron and Eli Lilly give patients a dose of enhanced antibodies
capable of protecting even the immunocompromised from developing more severe
covid symptoms.
Vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus differ from mAb
coronavirus treatments in their effect on the immune system. Currently, the
vaccine requires two shots administered over weeks to prevent infection. Conversely, mAb treatment is
delivered in one dose to people who are already infected and need additional
immune protection.
Covid
Treatments Using Monoclonal Antibodies
According to the National Institutes of Health, over 900,000
monoclonal antibody infusions have been dispensed to 5,000 facilities in the
U.S. to treat coronavirus. The average cost for one round of the mAb drugs used
in covid treatment is between $2,000 and $2,500. However, the government has
purchased over one million doses of treatment to distribute for free to
high-risk patients.
To get monoclonal antibody therapy you must:
1.
Test positive for
COVID-19 in the past 10 days
2.
Obtain a referral for
mAb treatment from a doctor
3.
Find an infusion location near
you
For current mAb treatments to be effective against COVID-19,
they need to be administered as soon as possible within 10 days of the
first symptoms.
The entire procedure lasts between two to three hours.
Generally, the process begins with a health screening of the patient’s vitals
followed by an IV infusion of the medication over an hour. During this time,
the patient will remain isolated to reduce exposing others to the virus.
Afterward, the patient will sit for an hour of observation to ensure there are
no allergic reactions.
What
If I’m Not Eligible for Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?
Though the therapy has proven beneficial to many patients, a mAb
infusion may not be right for everyone with covid. Patients with severe
symptoms or certain underlying conditions may be disqualified from receiving
mAb therapy. For hospitalized patients with the virus, treatment may include:
·
Baricitinib
·
Convalescent plasma
·
Corticosteroids
·
Remdesivir
Volunteering for a clinical trial may also offer relief from the
long-haul effects of covid or protection from it. The Accelerating COVID-19
Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) trials are a combination of federal, university,
and commercial medical researchers with the goal of understanding and treating
the infection. The trials are located across the country and are open to adults
who:
·
Have been hospitalized
with covid
·
Have been discharged
from a covid hospitalization
·
Tested positive for
covid but aren’t hospitalized
·
Were exposed to covid
but did not develop an infection
Author Destiny Bezrutczyk Content Writer is a content writer
from Iowa and has earned a Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature from
Texas Tech University. After working as a freelance script and blog writer, she
began writing content for tech startups. Maintaining a passion for words, she
took on a variety of projects where her writing could help people. She enjoys
spicy food and video games about robots.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). People with
Certain Medical Conditions. Retrieved on April 19, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html
Combat COVID. (n.d.). Available COVID-19 Treatment Options.
Retrieved on April 19, 2021, fromhttps://combatcovid.hhs.gov/i-have-covid-19-now/available-covid-19-treatment-options
Combat COVID. (n.d.). Monoclonal Antibodies for High-Risk
COVID-19 Positive Patients. Retrieved on April 19, 2021, from https://combatcovid.hhs.gov/i-have-covid-19-now/monoclonal-antibodies-high-risk-covid-19-positive-patients?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9_mDBhCGARIsAN3PaFMOrGm28ew3kNtKAO2flejZ7ukMwtzaDygkCRA1Z-Vz3-edkN-erxEaAh9PEALw_wcB#logo
Harris, Richard. (2020). Government Signs Deal For COVID-19
Treatments From Eli Lilly. Retrieved on April 20, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/28/928841997/government-signs-deal-for-covid-19-treatments-from-eli-lilly
National Institutes of Health. (2021). The COVID-19 Treatment
Guidelines Panel’s Statement on the Emergency Use Authorization of
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of COVID-19. Retrieved
on April 19, 2021, from https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/statement-on-anti-sars-cov-2-monoclonal-antibodies-eua/
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2021). Biden
Administration to Invest $150 Million to Expand Access to COVID-19 Treatments
in Underserved Communities. Retrieved on April 19, 2021, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/03/17/biden-administration-to-invest-150-million-to-expand-access-to-covid-19-treatments-in-underserved-communities.html
Weintraub, Karen. (2021). ‘Like somebody gave me a happy pill’:
Monoclonal antibodies help Americans most at risk for COVID-19. Retrieved on
April 19, 2021, from https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/health/2021/04/17/covid-19-monoclonal-antibodies-fda-coronavirus/4813685001/
https://www.mesotheliomahub.com/blog/cancer-treatment-helps-high-risk-covid/
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