Shawna De La Rosa | Nov 19, 2020
Tampa General Hospital offered its monoclonal antibody COVID-19 treatment to a patient today, making it the first Florida hospital to do so. The monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab from Eli Lilly is a first-in-class treatment that will allow physicians from Tampa General and USF Health to provide protection to COVID-19 positive patients with mild or moderate symptoms.
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This single dose infusion-based treatment is provided on an outpatient basis and marks a shift in COVID-19 care.
“Effective delivery of this treatment can be logistically complicated,” Dr. Kami Kim, director of the Division Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said in a statement. “Tampa General Hospital and USF Health were already actively conducting clinical trials on COVID-19 and had the team, location and infrastructure in place to identify and care for the patients who can benefit most from this treatment.”
The monoclonal antibody is a man-made protein that acts like a human antibody in the immune system. It works to block the “spike protein” in the virus before it can enter human cells and cause illness. Introduction of a monoclonal antibody in a sick person essentially neutralizes the virus and stops it from worsening and spreading. The monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab is delivered through a single hour-long infusion treatment. After the procedure, patients are monitored for another hour to ensure there are no side effects and then return home to continue their recovery.
Because production is just ramping up there is a limited supply of the monoclonal antibodies currently and it is unclear whether there will be enough medicine for all patients who qualify for this treatment.
To make sure it is getting to the people who need it most, physicians are only approving its use on high-risk patients. High risk patients are COVID-19 positive who are within ten days of symptom onset and meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Age 65 or older
- Currently receiving immunosuppressive treatment
- Have diabetes
- Have chronic kidney disease
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 35
In the event of a shortage of monoclonal antibodies, clinicians will work with patients to determine whether they qualify for similar drugs that are under investigation as part of numerous research trials currently underway at USF and TGH.
“Tampa General’s commitment to treating the community during this global pandemic is what allowed us early access to this first in class treatment,” Dr. Abe Schwarzberg, chief of oncology and senior vice president of Oncology and Network Development at TGH, said in a statement. “Having these monoclonal antibodies will allow our medical teams to provide fast, effective treatment to those patients at highest risk for falling critically ill or possibly dying of complications from COVID-19.”
The Eli Lilly monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the treatment of mild to moderate symptoms from COVID-19. Tampa General Hospital received some of the first supplies in the country and has the option to request additional doses on a weekly basis to serve the community. The therapy is being distributed as part of Operation Warp Speed.
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November 20, 2020 at 08:04AM
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