Method to treat virus offered

With cases rising, state officials are spreading the word about antibodies

CORONAVIRUS IN MARYLAND

By Meredith Cohn

With the nation on the verge of its biggest COVID-19 surge in November, a promising new treatment began trickling out to keep mild infections from turning deadly.

Maryland moved quickly to offer so-called monoclonal antibodies, the same thing used to treat then-President Donald Trump’s infection in October. And the state has been working since to promote and expand access to the lab-made immune system builder — the lone therapy for those who are not hospitalized.

Now, with cases again ticking up here and in many other states, possibly driven by variants, Maryland officials are trying to get the treatment to those most at risk for severe illness.

They have coordinated with health systems to open more than two dozen infusion centers around the state for at-risk patients referred by a doctor. The centers are largely at hospitals, including the Baltimore Convention Center field hospital. The treatment also is sometimes available in other settings, including emergency rooms and assisted living facilities.

“This is the first time we’ve had an outpatient treatment, and of course we grabbed it,” said Dr. Tara Saggar, assistant vice president of primary care operations for MedStar Health who helps oversee antibody infusions in the system’s hospitals.

There are now three forms of the antibodies from two drugmakers, Eli Lilly and Regeneron. Studies since last fall’s initial emergency-use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have provided further proof of their effectiveness if given soon after virus symptoms arise. A Regeneron study recently showed the therapy reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 70%.