Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : September 3, 2021 6:01 PM IST
Antibodies stop the virus attachment on human cells and prevent infection.
Renowned doctors from India concurred that treatment using monoclonal antibodies has shown positive results in high-risk COVID-19 patients, reducing the severity of disease and chances of hospitalisation. The monoclonal antibody treatment was introduced in the country when the second wave was decreasing.
Currently, there is no specific treatment or medication to cure COVID-19. However, many existing drugs are being used experimentally to reduce the severity of COVID-19 and many experimental medicines have been approved for emergency use. Leading health awareness institution Integrated Health & Wellbeing (IHW) Council in association with Cipla organised a conference to discuss the role of experimental medicines in treating COVID-19.
The Emerging COVID-19 Treatment Therapies session was attended by renowned healthcare experts including Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr Dhruva Chaudhary, Head, Department of Pulmonary and Critical care Medicine, PGIMS, Rohtak, and Dr Shashank Joshi, of Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai.
"We can say monoclonal antibodies are a reasonable treatment based on the compelling data from elite trails for high-risk patients, even in people who have not developed any antibody," said Dr Shashank Joshi, Senior Consultant Department of Diabetology and Endocrinology Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai.
According to Dr Joshi, the first 48 to 72 hours of infection is the most opportune time for administering monoclonal antibodies, but most of the patients come after that. But data from recovery trials has now shown that the use of monoclonal antibodies can be extended up to 7 to 10 days and in exceptional cases, can be used in hospitalised patients as well.
"It is an office drug we can administer it in the emergency room and patients go home and do not need hospitalisation," he added.
Dr Padmanabha Shenoy, Medical Director (CARE), Consultant, Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Dr Shenoy's Care Hospital, Kochi, added, "Administering monoclonal antibodies upfront to sero-negative autoimmune patients helped in reducing the risk of severe disease and hospitalisation."
Dr Guleria opined that although monoclonal antibodies have been useful for patients with high risk of severe disease, more data is needed on its efficacy. "Besides, the challenge is to ensure they are not used across the board. The bottom-line is when to give which drug and when not to use which drug," he noted.
He also pointed out that a lot of investment has been done in vaccine development but not in antivirals. The expert emphasized the need to invest more in developing good antivirals that can be given easily to patients and useful in the long run.
Advocating rational use of monoclonal antibodies, Dr Dhruva Chaudhary, Senior Professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary and Critical care Medicine, PGIMS, Rohtak, said, "Monoclonal antibodies challenge the notion that only steroids will work, but looking at the cost factor, I think we need to be rational."
Noting that we are facing the possibility of a third wave, Kamal Narayan, CEO, Integrated Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council, said "weighing our options for critical therapies will remain important."
