Study: Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Combination Reduces Hospitalization Among High-Risk Patients with COVID-19

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that the combination of casirivimab and imdevimab, both of which are monoclonal antibody treatments with FDA emergency use authorization, kept high-risk patients out of the hospital when infected with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Approximately 1400 patients were enrolled in the study, 696 of whom received the drug combination between December 2020 and April 2021, and an equal matched cohort who did not receive it. Further, their status was evaluated at 14, 21, and 28 days after treatment, and at each point, the numbers of hospitalization were significantly lower in the treated group.

The findings showed that at day 14, 1.3% of the treated group was in the hospital versus 3.3% of those who had been treated. At day 21, only 1.3% of those treated were hospitalized compared to 4.2% of those who had not been treated.

Additionally, at the end of 28 days, 1.6% of those treated were hospitalized versus 4.8% of those who had not been treated, translating to a 60% to 70% relative reduction in hospitalization among treated patients. Out of the patients who were hospitalized after, the rates of ICU admission and mortality were low.

"Once again, this real-world study suggests that when patients who are at high risk due to a range of comorbidities contract a mild or moderate case of COVID-19, this combination of monoclonal injections gives them a chance of a non-hospitalized recovery. In other words, they recover safely at home," said senior study author Raymund Razonable, MD, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, in the press release.

A previous study that analyzed 2335 treated patients from Mayo Clinic between November 2020 and February 2021 suggested the use of bamlanivimab reduced hospitalizations in high-risk patients by 40% to 60%. Compared to the outcome of the 2335 untreated patients, the ICU admission and mortality rates were significantly lower with monoclonal antibody treatment, according to the study authors.

"Our conclusion overall at this point is that monoclonal antibodies are an important option in treatment to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in high-risk patients," Razonable said in the press release.

REFERENCE

Monoclonal antibody treatment combo reduces hospitalization among high-risk patients with COVID-19. Mayo Clinic. August 30, 2021. Accessed August 30, 2021. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/monoclonal-antibody-treatment-combo-reduces-hospitalization-among-high-risk-patients-with-covid-19/