Filenews 6 March 2021
Treatment with monoclonal antibodies that could reduce hospitalization for high-risk patients with Covid by up to 70% will soon be available in France. This was announced by the country's Health Minister Olivier Véran confirming that treatment will soon be available as another way to fight the virus.
What is monoclonal antibody therapy?
It is an infusion, which has a neutralizing effect on Covid-19, naturally mimicking antibodies produced by the body itself to fight infection. There are several treatments under the title, with names like Regdanvimab, Bamlanivimab and Edesvimab. It is also known by the name CT-P59. It is manufactured by laboratories including the Celltrion Group of South Korea and the American Eli Lilly Laboratory.
How does it work?
Monoclonal antibodies mimic the body's natural antibodies. They bind to an antigen structure - in this case, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19 - and attack the virus's ability to penetrate cells.
Dr Morgane Bomsel, a researcher at cnrs health unit at institut Cochin, told La Dépêche newspaper: "It acts as an obstacle against the spread of the virus in the body, which is exciting because according to initial laboratory publications, it seems to work just as well as the British variant."
Professor Yves Coppieters, an epidemiologist, said in a statement: "The idea is to find the most performing antibodies and produce them in a laboratory - so are artificial antibodies - and, through injection, stimulate passive immunity."
Dr Bomsel said the treatment was not preventive and would only work to 'limit serious forms of the disease and therefore the number of admissions to ICU'.
Therefore, treatment is expected to reduce the number of hospitalizations and admissions to ICU patients with Covid-19.
However, it is expensive. It costs 1,000-2,000 euros per dose, so it will probably only be used in patients at the highest risk of developing a severe form of the disease.
The treatment had previously been used to help treat certain cancers and inflammatory diseases.
When will he arrive in France?
On its website, the health ministry said: "The first treatments based on monoclonal antibodies that have a neutralizing effect on the SARS-CoV-2 protein will be available very soon in France.
"This treatment will be added to the therapeutic weapons that already exist to treat patients at risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19.
'Monoclonal antibodies, by stopping virus penetration into cells and stopping reproduction, can neutralise the virus in the early stages of infection.'
The health ministry added that the national health website sante.fr will display a list of institutions that will store the drug from 1 March 2021.
The government aims to obtain treatment worth more than 170 million euros from the American group Eli Lilly. France is expected to be the second country in the EU, after Germany, to introduce the treatment.
Mr . Véran said: "Around 83 hospital centres have already received several thousand doses of this treatment, which can begin to be carefully administered in a hospital setting for patients aged 80 and over who have immunological problems.
"Several thousand additional doses" of second generation "will be received by mid-March."
Sources: connexionfrance.com/iatronet.gr
