Clinical trials show that monoclonal antibodies reduced hospitalization and emergency visits

Patients with COVID-19 (coronavirus) who received the new antibody had fewer symptoms and were less likely to require hospitalization or emergency care than those who did not receive the antibody, according to a new study published in. It was. New England Journal of Medicine..

A multisite phase II clinical trial tested three different doses of LY-CoV555, a monoclonal antibody derived from the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients.Interim analysis results showed diminished while the study was in progress Viral load Outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 cases at dose levels of 2,800 milligrams, with reduced hospitalization and emergency rates Medical among patient At all dose levels.

Peter Chen, MD, co-lead author of the study, professor of medicine, and director of the lung and emergency medicine department at Cedars-Sinai, said the results were promising.

“For me, the most important finding was a reduction in hospitalization,” Chen said. “Such monoclonal antibodies have the potential to reduce the severity of COVID-19 in many patients and allow more people to recover at home.”

Monoclonal antibodies work by adhering to the virus and preventing replication. LY-CoV555 binds to a specific protein called the spike protein. It is required for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to invade and replicate in human cells. By preventing the virus from replicating, the antibody slows down the process of the virus, allowing time for the patient’s own immune system to move.

“What we do is prevent the virus from causing excessive damage early in the process,” Chen said. “Because we are buying patient time, their bodies can begin to develop their own immunity to fight the virus.”

Patients in a randomized, double-blind study received either 700, 2,800, or 7,000 milligrams of antibody or placebo intravenously. Researchers used a nasopharyngeal swab to test the viral load of patients before and at several points after the drug was given. Patients under study were also given a questionnaire about subsequent symptoms and treatment.

Approximately 300 patients were treated (100 patients per dose level) and approximately 150 patients received placebo. Of the three dose levels, a dose of 2,800 milligrams has been shown to be effective in reducing viral load. By day 11, most patients, including the placebo group, had significantly reduced viral load. According to researchers, further research will be needed to validate these results.

“Publishing these data to peer-reviewed journals provides increasing evidence of the potential usefulness of neutralization. antibody Especially as a treatment for people recently diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19 High-risk patientsAjay Nirula, MD, Ph.D., Vice President of Immunology at Eli Lilly and Company and co-lead author of this study. Said: , Symptoms and risk of outpatient hospitalization. “

The hospitalization rate on day 29 was only 1.6% in the antibody-treated group, compared to 6.3% in the placebo-treated group.

Importantly, reduced hospitalization was seen in all demographic groups, including groups in the high-risk category: adults aged 65 and over and groups with a high body mass index (35 and above). The hospitalization rate for high-risk patients was 4.2% for patients treated with antibodies, compared to 14.6% for patients treated with placebo. The safety profile of patients treated with LY-CoV555 was similar to the safety profile of patients treated with placebo.

“We know that COVID-19 is especially difficult for the elderly, obese, and people with certain existing health conditions,” Chen said. “Such antibody treatments may be most beneficial to people in these high-risk categories.”