What you need to know about COVID-19 drugs
The Explainer looks into two new antibody treatments that federal and state officials are urging patients and doctors to seek out.
Two new antibody treatments have shown promise in keeping high-risk COVID-19 patients out of the hospital. But despite getting a publicity boost from President Donald Trump, who received the Regeneron treatment in October and praised it as a “cure,” the drugs have not been widely used since being authorized for emergency use last month by the Food and Drug Administration. Now federal and state health officials are urging patients and doctors to seek out the treatments. Here is what you need to know.
Whataremonoclonal antibodies?
Thetwotreatments, by Eli LillyandRegeneron, are the first drugs developed specifically for COVID-19 to be authorized by the FDA. They consist of artificially synthesized copies of the antibodies that people produce naturallywhen their immune system fights off infection. Eli Lilly’s drug consists of one antibody. Regeneron’s is a combination of two.
Early data have shown theymay prevent hospitalization in people at high risk for severe complications fromthe disease. Clinical trials are continuing. The treatments are believed to work by helping to shut down the virus soon after infection.
Whodothetreatmentshelp?
The treatments can be given to anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, is at high risk of developing a severe form of the disease and is within 10 days of first developing symptoms.
This includes people who are at least 65 years of age and thosewho are obese or have medical conditions like diabetes.
The treatments are not authorized for people who have already been hospitalized or who need oxygen, because studies in these groups have not shown that the drugs work well.
Howmuchdotheycost?
Under deals that each company struck with the federal government, the doses will be free of charge, although some patients, dependingontheir insurance coverage, may have topayforadministering the drug, which must be infused by a health care provider.
In November, the federal government waived copayments for the cost of administering the treatment for people covered by Medicare.
Arethesetreatmentswidely available?
Monoclonal antibody treatments are difficult and time-consuming to manufacture, which has limited the number of doses the drugmakers have produced.
The federal government has purchased 950,000 doses from Eli Lilly and 300,000 doses fromRegeneron. The drug companies have already delivered hundreds of thousands of those doses, with the rest expected by the end of January.
Howmanypeoplehavereceived thetreatments?
No one knows, butmany of the doses distributed so far have gone unused and sit in hospital refrigerators.
While the federal governmenthasonhand almost 532,000 doses of the two drugs, and nearly 291,000doseshavebeenshippedout, neither the government nor the drug companies have complete data on how many of those doses have been given to patients.
The subset of hospitals reporting data to the government on the number of administered doses has used only 20% of their supply, onaverage, according totheDepartment of Health and Human Services.
Whyareonlysomepatients gettingthem?
The drugs are being used unevenly across the country. Some hospitals cannot get enough doses. Others have not even used much of what they have gotten so far.
Various factors have contributed to underutilization: Hospitals areoverwhelmed by the virus surge and focused on giving the first vaccines. And they must find space in their crowded facilitieswhere the treatments can be infused over a period of hours without spreading the virus to others.
Some patients have been reluctant to venture out for the treatments, whether because they are not up to going into a clinic while they are feeling sick, they do not have transportation or they perceive the drugs as being available only for well-connected people. And the very scarcity of the treatments is contributing to their underuse, as some hospitals hold back supplies for fear of running out.
HowcanIgetthem?
There is no single hotline or website to help patients find a provider offering the treatments.
Many health systems have set upways to identify andcontact eligiblepatientswhotest positive for the coronavirus at testing sites or doctors’ offices. But these referral systems vary from community to community.
Eli Lilly’s support hotline for its treatment is 1-855-545-5921. Aspokesperson forRegeneron recommendedthat patients or doctors reach out to their state health department.
Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief scientificofficer, saidheadvisesfriendsandfamily members to call the company’s hotline.
“If you’re persistent and you qualify, you’ll get it,” he said.