A COVID-19 patient was administered a monoclonal antibodies cocktail in Medanta Hospital
The first COVID-19 patient in India who was treated with a monoclonal antibodies cocktail was discharged from a hospital in Haryana on Wednesday, a day after he was administered the jab. The patient, an 82-year-old man with multiple comorbidities, went home after getting the jab at Medanta Hospital, the hospital chairman Dr Naresh Trehan said on Wednesday.
Monoclonal antibodies mimic the immune system's ability to fight off viruses and other harmful pathogens. Such an antibody cocktail was given to former US President Donald Trump when he tested positive last year.
The monoclonal antibodies cocktail has been used extensively in the US and Europe, Dr Trehan told news agency ANI. "The experience shows when given in first seven days of (Covid) infection, 70-80 per cent of people who are going to be entering hospitals for treatment will not need hospitalisation," Dr Trehan said.
A doctor at Medanta Hospital, Dr Satya Prakash Yadav, tweeted. "Finally monoclonal antibodies cocktail to treat COVID-19 available in market and today first patient to get it Medanta is an 84-year-old gentleman with COVID-19. Let's hope it helps cure more patients with COVID-19."
Dr Trehan said they will continue to monitor the patient who went home on Wednesday after the monoclonal antibodies cocktail treatment. "...We're going to follow him. Virus multiplication drops especially in those people who have high virus load and also in those who are at high risk of severe infection," Dr Trehan said.
"When Casirivimab and Imdevimab are injected into infected patient in early stage it blocks virus from entering cells of patient. It is working against COVID-19 and also effective against B.1.617 variant. This is a new weapon," the Medanta Hospital chairman said.
Cipla and Roche India have launched an antibody cocktail in India for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. The price of each dose is a little over Rs 59,000 and a multi-dose pack - each pack can treat two patients - is cost Rs 1.19 lakh.
The US in February allowed emergency use for Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab to be administered together for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and paediatric patients.
With inputs from ANI