JACKSON, Wyo. — Yesterday, Jan. 22, during the 24th COVID-19 Community Update, St. John’s Health CEO Dr. Paul Beaupre discussed the possibilities of monoclonal antibodies being available to Teton County residents.
According to the FDA, “Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. 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.”
In November of 2020, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for casirivimab and imdevimab, two types of monoclonal antibodies that are administered together through an IV.
The FDA recommends the treatment for adult and pediatric patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, are experiencing mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, and are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19.
In clinical trials, the FDA reported that when administered together, the antibodies reduce COVID-19 related hospitalizations or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression within 28 days after treatment, compared to placebo.
Dr. Beaupre explained how monoclonal antibodies are still under EUA. He said, “The CDC has yet to sign off on antibodies being completely efficacious in this disease, I know there is a lot of case reports and a lot of opinions about how great monoclonal antibodies might actually be but the science hasn’t really demonstrated that yet.”
An EUA is different than an FDA approval, the FDA evaluates the available scientific evidence, known potential risks, and known potential benefits before deciding to issue an EUA.
Dr. Beaupre also discussed the shortcomings with the number of treatments available to St. John’s Health, “Much like the vaccine we have checked on our ability to obtain monoclonal antibodies here in Teton County and at most, we can get about 5 to 8 doses every week. We anticipate that the demand for monoclonal antibodies would be somewhere between 20 and 50 a day,” said Dr. Beaupre, adding, “We are not in a position where we want to begin to make decisions for our community members as to who gets a treatment and who doesn’t and particularly when the treatment is still very experimental.”
That being said, Dr. Beaupre hasn’t written off the treatment option. He explained that he would continue to follow the science surrounding the antibodies and work to get as many treatments as possible; “until we can be assured that we can get between 50 and 100 of these treatments a day, it does not make sense for us to get into that arena quite yet.”
