FDA Clears Use Of Lab-Made Antibodies For COVID-19 Treatment

Right now vaccines for the coronavirus are still being developed and it could only be in 2021 where we’ll be able to get our hands on them. This means that for now, patients who have COVID-19 will need to be treated as the symptoms come up, but the FDA is trying to make that process easier.

The government body has announced that they have cleared the use of lab-made antibodies that could be used to help treat moderate COVID-19 infections that have a high risk of potentially developing into more severe cases. This means that if you’re not experiencing any life-threatening symptoms even if you have COVID-19, these antibodies aren’t for you.

These lab-made antibodies are designed to mimic the body’s immune system’s virus-fighting capabilities and prevents the virus from attaching to the patient’s cells. The idea is that this helps to reduce the overall viral load, that could prevent symptoms from progressing further into a more severe state.

However, the FDA notes that their approval doesn’t mean that this treatment can be used willy nilly, and that while there is still an ongoing investigation into the effectiveness of such treatments, the known benefits currently outweigh the risk, which is why they have approved its use for now.

According to Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., acting director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “The emergency authorization of these monoclonal antibodies administered together offers health care providers another tool in combating the pandemic. We will continue to facilitate the development, evaluation and availability of COVID-19 therapies.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Medical
Tags: Coronavirus, covid-19, fda, Health