Floridians adopt COVID-19 antibody treatment

Florida officials say it’s not just unvaccinated people who use Florida’s 25 monoclonal antibody treatment clinics.

About 45% of the more than 135,000 people who received COVID-19 treatment have been fully vaccinated, state officials estimate. In parts of the state with higher vaccination rates, such as Miami-Dade County, the percentage has reached 60%.

But should vaccinated people with breakthrough cases and mild symptoms receive treatment with monoclonal antibodies? The question of who should be given priority is the subject of debate in the medical community. The expensive drug cocktail is free for patients but costs taxpayers about $ 2,100 per dose.

Patients should speak with their doctor, but people who are fully vaccinated and in good health do not benefit much from treatment if they develop a breakthrough case of COVID-19, said Michael Teng, a virologist at the University of South Florida. .

Although people can still get sick, COVID-19 vaccines have been very effective in protecting against serious illness and hospitalization, he said.

“Monoclonal antibodies are not going to add too much to this protection,” Teng said. “If you are in a very high risk group and it has been a while since you received your second dose of the vaccine, this may be something you need to discuss with your doctor, but generally speaking, it’s not really going to do much. for normal and healthy people.

The treatment saves the lives of those at risk who are not vaccinated, reducing the risk of hospitalization by up to 70%, Teng said. People who are vaccinated but suffer from diseases that affect their immune systems, such as undergoing cancer treatment, also benefit tremendously, he said.

AdventHealth Medical Group chief medical officer Dr Michael Cacciatore said he recommends all eligible people receive the treatment, regardless of their vaccination status. Thousands of patients have received treatment through the hospital system without a single major allergic reaction, he said.

“If you have COVID and have symptoms, even mild ones and have other significant co-morbidities, I would really think about getting that antibody infusion,” Cacciatore said.

Under the drug’s emergency authorization, people 12 years of age and older who are at high risk of serious illness are eligible to receive treatment if they have been infected or exposed to COVID-19. Risk factors include being 65 or older, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and pregnancy. Overweight people are also eligible.

Patients who wish to receive treatment should not wait to see if their symptoms worsen. The cocktail is most effective when given at the onset of an infection. It’s not as easy as taking a pill, either. It requires either an IV infusion or four successive injections.

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in the lab that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight viruses.

The state clinics primarily donated the Regeneron antibody cocktail, which the federal government bought in bulk and provided to patients free of charge. The first state clinic opened on August 12 in Jacksonville.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has raised concerns over supply caps put in place by President Joe Biden’s administration as the delta variant skyrockets demand. With cases on the decline, the reduction in supply has not resulted in a shortage in Florida, state officials said.

Clinics have enough doses to meet demand, and state officials are keeping clinics open to all eligible people, DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw said in an email.

“Of the many vaccinated patients who have come to Florida mAb sites for treatment, all have reported having one or more co-morbidities that put them at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Many are elderly, immunocompromised and / or overweight, ”she said.

The Florida Department of Health has not released detailed data on the monoclonal antibody treatment program.

Due to a standing order from the state’s Surgeon General, Floridians do not need a doctor’s prescription to get treatment. The clinics operate primarily under the honor system because state officials “didn’t want to create barriers to access that might deter patients needing this life-saving treatment,” Pushaw said.

State officials stress that the numbers don’t mean vaccines don’t work. For example, unvaccinated people make up about 10 percent of the Miami-Dade population, but 40 percent of the patients at the Miami treatment site.

At the height of the delta’s surge, hospital officials pointed out that more than 90% of their COVID-19 patients were unvaccinated. It is rare for a fully vaccinated person to die from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 6,617 groundbreaking deaths linked to COVID-19.

If antibody therapy is insufficient, the National Institutes of Health recommends that it be given first to unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people as well as to people who have been fully vaccinated but are not expected to develop an adequate immune response, including including people aged 65 and over.

Due to supply issues, Tennessee has restricted the drug to those most at risk of dying, favoring unvaccinated people over some vaccinated people who are not immunocompromised.

– By the Orlando Sentry

The antibody cocktail is safe, but like any drug or medical procedure, it is not without risk, Teng said. It is extremely rare, but the infusion can cause a potentially fatal allergic reaction. Other reported side effects include fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain, and headache.

“It’s an injection,” Teng said. “It’s not something comfortable. You either receive a large dose of fluid under the skin or you sit down for an intravenous infusion. It’s not like taking aspirin, and things just go away. It’s a procedure.

Patients may soon have another option that will not require an IV infusion injection. The Food and Drug Administration is examining an anti-COVID pill made by drug maker Merck.