72-year-old COVID-19 patient given 'antibody cocktail' in Mohali
A 72-year-old COVID-19 positive man was administered the monoclonal antibody cocktail therapy at Fortis Hospital in Mohali on Sunday, days after the treatment was given to two similar patients in Delhi and Gurgaon hospitals. The Mohali-based Fortis Hospital, in a statement, said that the patient, who had tested positive for COVID-19 infection two days ago, is a diabetic with chronic kidney disease.
Monoclonal antibodies are artificially generated in the lab
"He was administered one dose of the cocktail intravenously," the statement said, adding that the patient is stable after the infusion. Dr. Zafar Ahmed, a senior consultant with the Critical Care, Pulmonology and Chest and Sleep Medicine Department of the Mohali Fortis Hospital, said, "Like antibodies, which are proteins generated by the body to fight disease, monoclonal antibodies are artificially created in the lab."
'Therapy is an important step toward combatting the pandemic'
"In this cocktail, Casirivimab and Imdevimab are monoclonal antibodies that specifically block the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus, thereby preventing the coronavirus attachment and entry into human cells," said Dr. Ahmed. "This is another very important step that has been taken by the medical community to effectively combat the pandemic and help people recover faster," he added.
Roche India and Cipla had launched cocktail last week
Drug majors Roche India and Cipla had on Monday announced the launch of Roche's Antibody Cocktail in India, priced at Rs. 59,750 per dose for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients facing high risks.
Currently available one lakh packs can benefit two lakh patients
Cipla and Roche had said in a joint statement, "The first batch of the Antibody Cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is now available in India while a second batch will be made available by mid-June." "In total, they can potentially benefit 2,00,000 patients as each of the 1,00,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients," the statement added.
It has also received EUA in US, several EU countries
As per the statement, Cipla will distribute the product by leveraging its strong distribution strengths across the country and the drug will be available through leading hospitals and COVID-19 treatment centers. The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recently provided an emergency use authorization (EUA) for antibody cocktail in India. It has also received a EUA in the US and several EU countries.
These COVID-19 patients can get antibody cocktail as treatment
The antibody cocktail is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 infection. It can also be administered to patients who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease and do not require oxygen support.
