COVID-19 Antibody Drug Will Soon Be Available In PA

HARRISBURG, PA —Monoclonal antibodies, a new COVID-19 therapy, will soon be distributed in Pennsylvania, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced Friday.

The antibodies, distributed by the federal government, will go to healthcare systems throughout the state.

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins built in a laboratory that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens, like the COVID-19 virus.

“The department will determine which healthcare systems receive allocations based upon county case counts,” Dr. Levine said. “Then, the federal government will distribute the antibodies to the respective healthcare systems to further help communities struggling with the spread of COVID-19."

Monoclonal antibodies may provide short term protection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus for appropriate COVID-19 patients, Levine said.

Healthcare partners who receive the monoclonal antibodies will ensure that patients who meet the criteria will be able to receive this treatment "in a range of different distribution settings."

The drug, called bamlanivimab, received an emergency use authorization from the FDA.

According to the FDA, bamlanivimab has not been observed to benefit patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. "Monoclonal antibodies, such as bamlanivimab, may be associated with worse clinical outcomes when administered to hospitalized patients with COVID-19 requiring high flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation," the FDA's fact sheet on the drug states.