Real Talk on Monoclonal Antibodies and Anti-Virtals for COVID
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Real Talk on Monoclonal Antibodies and Anti-Virtals for COVID
Let's help separate fact from fiction
There had been much misinformation and reckless accusations regarding the monoclonal antibodies and the anti-virals available for early disease Covid. Please don’t listen to politicians or candidates. Here is some good information and websites.
The anti-virals are in pharmacies! I’ve a couple of doctor friends who have already written for Pfizer’s anti-viral (PAXLOVID™). Merck’s product is molnupiravir. Molnupiravir is a bit trickier in prescribing as it has some drug/drug interactions. Your physicians will need with either of the anti-virals a complete list of all the prescription meds, OTC products or herbs/holistic products you might be on. Please provide that info, as some serious drug/drug interactions can occur.
As far as the mAB’s, much false information is out there, with politicians accusing some of not allowing effective products. All that is nonsense and it just HAS to stop.
I am surmising that Maryland is in a state of Omicron driving the Covid infections with the dramatic spike straight up. Glaxo’s sotrovimab is the mAB for Omicron. The prior mAB’s will not work for Omicron.
Here are several HHS and CDC websites with good information.
HHS Website for locations to receive mAB therapy. While the website is still talking about the prior mAB’s which we are not using for Omicron, I’ve been told the supply is or will be coming in with sotrovimab. And the website should be updated soon.
https://protect-public.hhs.gov/pages/therapeutics-distribution
Covid treatment guidelines:
More on the mAB’s: https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/statement-on-patient-prioritization-for-outpatient-therapies/
The high-risk patient type to be considered priority for therapy:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html
A great Table of Clinical Data for the Covid mAB’s: https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/tables/table-a/
Please understand that these products are difficult products to manufacture. With the demand resulting from Omicron infections, these products will be prioritized. Your doctor will know how the supply chain is working. Understand that certain criteria are designed to get the therapeutic to the patient most in need. This is just the way it will be until production meets demand. I can assure you that all the pharma/biotech companies are putting all manufacturing capability into the production.
I’m still a believer in prevention with the COVI vaccine. There is far too much disinformation out there on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. The vaccination is your BEST prevention. I’d never recommend therapy in place of vaccination. Please talk with your physicians about vaccination if you have questions.
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Real Talk on Monoclonal Antibodies and Anti-Virtals for COVID
“I can assure you that all the pharma/biotech companies are putting all manufacturing capability into the production”
I disagree and that’s an inaccurate reflection of the use of bioreactors. Perhaps toward available bioreactors, but they’re not dumping other oncology products to make room for new production nor are there federal DPAs with rated orders requiring first of line production as it.
Other broad comments, the antiviral production should scale up in the months ahead, but this was a tremendous fail by the federal government not to clear CMO space via DPA. Other products may also bare fruit like oral form remdesivir, which is itself actually an antiviral (and the FDA would be wise to expedite oral form rather than just authorize the intravaneous for outpatient).
On vaccines, people seeking a pan-coronavirus vaccine may be disappointed. Ditto variant specific boosters given anything likely to displace Omicron would be more transmissible and the flash to bang for turning it to market is at least 90 days (by contrast, omicron is only 90 days old and you don’t launch a production until you’re sure it’s actually taken hold). On the positive side, early winter’s mrna data from Moderna showing a combo covid-influenza-rsv vax would enable a better seasonal match to flu as well and hit theoretical future boosters.