Demand up for monoclonal antibodies
Demand for monoclonal antibodies to treat coronavirus has surged at Massachusetts hospitals in recent months as awareness about the once-little-known drug and its incredible effects is increasing, bringing patients in from a dozen different states.
Over the summer, Umass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester was offering about 40 slots per week for coronavirus patients to come get an infusion of monoclonal antibodies, which stave off the virus and halt it from replicating further in the body, according to UMMC infectious disease physician Dr. Sandeep Jubbal.
Now, they have 130 to 140 weekly appointments available, which they have no problem filling up.
“Hands down, this is the best antiviral treatment that exists against this virus,” Jubbal told the Herald. He said patients have come to Umass from 12 different states to get the treatment.
The drug can be given as an infusion or a series of four shots. The lab-made antibodies bind to the coronavirus spike protein, which prevents the virus from infecting healthy cells, therefore stopping COVID from progressing.
The antibody cocktail has proven to be effective for many high profile public figures who caught coronavirus including Donald Trump, who received it before it was available to the public. Side effects are minimal, though some people have a minor skin reaction.
Monoclonal antibodies have been shown to reduce coronavirus hospitalizations or deaths in high-risk patients by 70%.
“A few patients have called us within 24 to 48 hours after to thank us,” Jubbal said. “The symptoms just go away, or they decrease significantly.”
Jubbal said that since UMMC started offering monoclonal antibodies in July, they’ve used them to treat about 1,500 patients. Of those patients, a mere 2% ended up being admitted to the hospital for COVID.
High-risk patients are eligible for the drug if they are infected with coronavirus or if they were a close contact of an infected person, even if they haven’t tested positive yet.
Jubbal said that in the coming months he expects a steady demand for the antibodies, but perhaps not quite as high as it is right now.
Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest hospital system, has also seen a skyrocketing desire for the treatment.
In early August, MGB was offering 27 appointments per week, and has now scaled to 160 weekly slots across 11 different sites, according to Dr. Inga Lennes, who directs the program.
Patients typically only need one infusion which lasts in the body for a month. If they were to get infected with coronavirus again, they could get the treatment a second time.
Lennes said getting patients an appointment quickly is crucial. The treatment works best the earlier it is given, typically within 10 days of symptoms.
“We are really trying to make sure people don’t fall out of the treatment window and we get them in as soon as we can,” Lennes told the Herald.
Lennes said that with decreasing coronavirus cases but increasing public awareness about monoclonal antibodies, demand will likely be steady.
Should there be short supply, the highest risk patients are prioritized.