BHUBANESWAR: Apollo Hospitals in Bhubaneswar began the monoclonal antibody cocktail therapy on a Covid patient on Monday.
The Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) has approved the emergency use of the Covid monoclonal antibody cocktail.
Sources said the 82-year-old man from Bhubaneswar with comorbidities was administered the antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) on Monday. The patient was admitted to the hospital on May 29 three days after he tested positive for the virus.
The decision to administer the antibody cocktail was taken by a board of doctors led by Director (Medical Services) of Apollo Hospitals Dr Ashish Chandra.
Consultant physician Dr Paresh Jena said the patient tolerated the medication and his condition is improving. “The patient with comorbidities, including heart disease and old brain stroke, was admitted on day 5 of the Covid symptoms. The Covid monoclonal antibodies were given on day 6. We are the first hospital in the State to begin the combination medication,” he said.
The antibody cocktail has been recommended for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults and paediatric patients of 12 years or older, weighing at least 40 kg and who are at high risk of developing severe disease and do not require oxygen.
The advantage of the cocktail to be administered once, Dr Jena said, is that it can be used on comorbid patients with heart and renal diseases, cancer and other such illnesses.
“It will prevent the condition of the high-risk patients from worsening further by reducing the risk of progressing to severe disease and fatality by 70 per cent besides shortening the duration of symptoms by four days,” he said.
With health experts advocating for rational use of the Covid-19 monoclonal antibody cocktail, the doctors at the hospital are optimistic that the availability of antibody cocktail can help in minimising disease severity, and play a key role in treatment of high risk patients before their condition worsens. It is, however, not recommended for patients who have moderate or severe disease with hypoxia.
“We hope the cocktail antibody will benefit more comorbid patients with mild symptoms on whom Covid treatment gets delayed due to their other serious comorbid conditions. We are looking forward to patients taking advantage of the treatment,” said senior public relations officer Rakesh Ray.