NEW DELHI: Two Covid positive senior citizens who were administered with a monoclonal antibody cocktail have recovered from the infection in eight days, said BLK-MAX Super Speciality Hospital on Tuesday.
According to an official statement, the two patients Suresh Kumar Trehan (65) and Sunirmal Ghatak (70) were administered with the therapy on June 1.
"We conducted RT-PCR test on two Covid positive patients 8 days after developing symptoms and it turned out to a definite negative. They were administered Antibodies Cocktail Therapy within 3 days of obtaining Covid positive report.
"This is the fastest-ever recovery reported in patients, particularly senior citizens suffering from comorbidities," said Dr. Sandeep Nayar, Senior Director & HOD, Chest & Respiratory Diseases, BLK-MAX Super Speciality Hospital.
The antibody cocktail was launched on May 24, 2021 in India by Roche India after receiving Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO). Roche's antibody cocktail was given to then US President Donald Trump when he contracted Covid last year.
The therapy in India is priced at Rs 59,750 per dose.
"In the light of this development, the monoclonal antibody cocktail can safely be termed as a ‘game-changer’ in the fight against Covid. Studies have already demonstrated that 80% of the patients who took the drug did not need hospitalisation if given soon after the patient tests positive and within the first week of the infection which can prevent severe disease and deaths," Dr Nayar stated.
According to the hospital, both the patients were admitted owing to cardiac problems. Since they had to undergo cardiac treatment, an RT-PCR was done on June 4 and they turned out to be negative on June 5. While Sunirmal Ghatak underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), Suresh Trehan got a pacemaker procedure done.