COLUMBUS (WCMH) — With progress being made by multiple pharmaceutical companies on COVID-19 antibody therapies, local medical experts said some patients in central Ohio are already benefiting from the treatment.
“It showed that it definitely works at reducing the virus, and it leads to the outcomes that we want,” said Dr. Carlos Malvesutto with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
On Monday evening, the FDA approved Emergency Use Authorization for a COVID-19 antibody therapy from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
Doctors at the Wexner Medical Center have been participating in Phase 2 of the trial that is now preparing to move into Phase 3.
With record numbers of new infections, one of the most critical outcomes the trail has shown is reduced hospitalization rates, particularly in high-risk patients.
“Can we treat people at those early stages so they don’t progress to more severe disease, particularly for those patients that we know have risk factors that are more severe to the disease,” Malvesutto adds.
To this point, the treatment has only been available on a clinical trial basis, but Eli Lilly expects to produce a million doses of the treatment available for emergency use by the end of the year.
“Is what they have enough?” Malvesutto questions. “Probably not.”
This means early doses will likely be reserved for those most critically ill, a decision process that will ultimately be made by a task force that Malvesutto said he will be a part of.
“How do we distribute, how do we prioritize those patients that should get this treatment?” he asked.
Fortunately, it’s not the only treatment showing promise.
The FDA is also in the process of reviewing the Emergency Use Authorization of a similar treatment from the biotech company Regeneron.
Multiple treatment options will soon give doctors even more ammunition in the battle against the pandemic.
“It’s great that we have this, and we needed this, but we need more,” Malvesutto said.
Malvesutto said Phase 2 of the trial included just over 100 participants, transitioning to more than 1,000 participants as they move into Phase 3.