COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Therapy Can Reduce Hospitalizations & Healthcare System Stress If Administered Early to High-Risk Patients; Increased Emphasis on This Approach Is Urged Following Positive Results with Regeneron and Lilly mAbs

A newly published study by the University of South Florida Health (USF Health) and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) shows that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) work well in reducing COVID-19-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations when given early to high-risk patients. If used under FDA guidelines, the researchers suggest, this treatment can ease the pandemic's continuing burden on patients and on limited health care resources. The collaborative study was published online on June 4, 2021 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The open-access article is titled “Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody Infusions in High-Risk Outpatients.” Investigational monoclonal antibody therapies, administered intravenously, are specifically designed to block infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The FDA has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) of mAbs in outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 at increased risk of developing severe disease. Such high-risk patients are prone to hospitalizations, mechanical ventilation, and other complications, including death from coronavirus.