HYDERABAD: Nearly 60 patients who have received the much talked about Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Therapy in Gandhi Hospital free-of-cost have shown an encouraging response against Covid-19.
The hospital officials said that they began the usage of this special drug nearly a month ago and have seen very promising responses in patients with comorbidities and with moderate Covid.
“We are specifically using it on patients who have comorbidities and are at a moderate disease stage.
It has shown better response than Remdesivir,” said Dr Prabhakar Reddy, Nodal Officer for Covid-19, Gandhi Hospital. Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Therapy, as the name suggests, is a concoction of antibodies given to the patient as a single dose.
They are known to act on the spike protein of the Covid and do not allow it to enter the human cell. Previously, former president of the US Donald Trump was known to have used it.
The medicine in general is known to reduce viral load and the hospital stay. Owing to its good response in patients, Health officials are contemplating whether to order these in more quantity ahead of the impending third wave to reduce morality amongst those with comorbidities.
“Currently, the stock which is being used is the one supplied as part of CSR, wherein a consignment of 300 vials was received. We are now at the planning stage where we must decide whether to place more orders for the same and in what quantity,” said Dr Chandrasekhar Reddy, TSMSIDC chairperson.
OSD to Telangana Chief Minister Dr Gangadhar Taduri had also stated in a recent webinar that the Antibody Cocktail Therapy would be considered as a treatment protocol for the third wave.
Currently, each vial of the cocktail is priced at `60,000.