Octogenarian treated with monoclonal antibody therapy returns home
An 84-year-old man who was given monoclonal antibody therapy, which is said to reduce the chance of hospitalization by 70 percent in COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms, returned home on Wednesday. Mohabbat Singh was administered a cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab at the Medanta Hospital, Gurugram as part of the single-dose infusion-based treatment on Tuesday and then kept under observation.
New treatment marks a shift in COVID-19 care in India
An official of the hospital claimed it was Delhi-NCR's first case of monoclonal antibody therapy for a COVID-19 patient. "This FDA-approved therapy demonstrated good efficacy in Phase 1/2 and Phase 3. Approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), this single dose infusion-based treatment can be provided on an outpatient or on daycare basis," the hospital said in a statement.
Here is what monoclonal antibody therapy means
Similar to antibodies which are proteins that the body naturally produces to defend itself against the disease, monoclonal antibodies are artificially created in a lab and tailor-made to fight the disease, hospital authorities said. "Casirivimab and Imdevimab are monoclonal antibodies that are specifically directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, designed to block the virus' attachment and entry into human cells," the statement said
Therapy is best suited for high-risk COVID-19 patients
Two distinct antibodies bind non-competitively to the COVID-19 virus-cell surface and prevent the virus from infecting healthy cells. Using two antibodies protects against the emergence of resistance. The therapy is most suited for high-risk COVID-19 patients who are within the first 10 days of symptom onset and meet any of the listed criteria, such as, age is 65 years or above, the hospital said.
Who else can receive the monoclonal antibody therapy?
Other criteria to receive therapy include obesity with BMI more than 35, type-1 or type-2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, including those on dialysis, chronic liver disease, currently receiving immunosuppressive treatment, or aged above 55 and have heart disease, hypertension, or chronic lung disease.
High-risk patients between 12-17 years eligible under certain conditions
High-risk patients between 12-17 years of age weighing at least 40 kg may also be eligible for therapy if they have any of the following conditions. BMI of 85th percentile or more for their age and gender, based on CDC growth charts; sickle cell disease, congenital or acquired heart disease, neurodevelopmental disorders, medical-related technological dependence, or chronic respiratory disease.
Fortis Escorts Heart Institute will also start offering the therapy
The therapy is not recommended in patients who are hospitalized due to severe COVID-19, require oxygen therapy, or require an increase in baseline oxygen low rate due to COVID-19 or those on chronic oxygen therapy due to underlying non-COVID-19 related co-morbidity. Sources said that Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI) in South Delhi, will also start offering the therapy at the facility from Thursday.
