Those who received COVID-19 antibody treatment had fewer symptoms, less likely to require hospitalization
Los Angeles:
COVID-19 patients who were given a new antibody had fewer symptoms and were less likely to require hospitalization or emergency medical care than those who did not receive treatment, according to a new study.
The ongoing Phase II clinical trial, the interim results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested three different doses of LY-CoV555, a monoclonal antibody derived from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient.
The analysis indicated a reduced viral load in ambulatory patients with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 at the 2,800 milligram dose, as well as a reduction in hospitalization rates and emergency medical care in patients at all dosage levels.
“For me, the most significant result has been the reduction in hospitalizations,” said co-first author of the study, Peter Chen of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the United States.
“Monoclonal antibodies like this have the potential to reduce the severity of COVID-19 for many patients, allowing more people to recover at home,” Chen said.
According to the researchers, monoclonal antibodies work by attaching themselves to a virus and preventing it from replicating.
They said LY-CoV555 binds to a particular protein in the novel coronavirus, called a spike protein, which the virus needs to enter human cells and replicate.
By preventing the virus from replicating, the scientists said the antibody slows down the replication process, giving the patient’s immune system time to kick in.
“What we’re doing is preventing the virus from causing too much damage early in the process,” Chen said.
“We save patients time, so their bodies can start to develop their own immunity to fight the virus,” he added.
In the study, patients received intravenous doses of 700, 2,800, or 7,000 milligrams of antibody, or a placebo.
“In this interim analysis of a Phase 2 trial, one of three doses of neutralizing antibody LY-CoV555 appeared to accelerate the natural decline in viral load over time, while the other doses did not. not done by day 11, ”the scientists wrote in the study. .
The researchers used a nasopharyngeal swab to test patients’ viral load before administering the antibody and again at several times after the drug was administered.
They also gave patients a questionnaire about their symptoms and subsequent treatment.
According to the study, nearly 300 patients received the treatment (100 patients per dose) and around 150 patients received the placebo.
Of the three dosage levels, the scientists said the 2,800 milligram dose was found to be effective in lowering the viral load.
On day 11, they reported that the viral load was significantly reduced for most patients, including those on the placebo arm.
However, the researchers said more studies would be needed to validate these results.
“The publication of this data in a peer-reviewed journal adds to the growing body of evidence of the potential utility of neutralizing antibodies as therapeutic agents for people recently diagnosed with mild to moderate COVID-19, especially patients at high risk, ”said Ajay Nirula, another study co-author.
“These data show that LY-CoV555 may be effective in treating COVID-19 by reducing viral load, symptoms and the risk of outpatient hospitalization,” Nirula said.
On day 29, the study noted that hospitalization rates were only 1.6% in the antibody-treated group, compared to 6.3% in the placebo group.
The researchers said the reduction in hospitalizations was seen across all demographic groups, including those in high-risk categories – adults over 65 and those with a high body mass index (above 35).
For high-risk patients, they said hospitalization rates were 4.2% in patients treated with the antibody, compared to 14.6% in patients on placebo.
The safety profile of patients treated with LY-CoV555 was similar to that of patients treated with placebo, the study noted.
“We know that COVID-19 is especially difficult for the elderly, the obese, and people with certain pre-existing health conditions,” Chen said.
“Antibody treatments like this may have the most benefit for people in these high-risk categories,” he added.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
