In this May 2020 photo provided by Eli Lilly, researchers prepare cells to produce possible COVID-19 antibodies for testing in a laboratory in Indianapolis. Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs; they attach to a virus and help it be eliminated. (David Morrison/Eli Lilly via AP) Until now, doctors and researchers have focused on saving the lives of the sickest COVID-19 patients. This month, hospitals are rolling out trials in North Texas aimed at keeping those with milder COVID-19 symptoms from getting worse.
“When COVID hit, we were frantically trying to save patients,” said Dr. Nancy Rollins, associate dean of clinical research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “As we’ve gotten a handle on how to better care for patients in the acute setting, the question has arisen: Can we decrease the number of patients with COVID who ultimately end up going into the hospital?”
This week, UT Southwestern opened a dedicated outpatient clinic to test a half-dozen treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Baylor Scott & White Health has also launched outpatient trials.
This batch of experimental treatments includes the first drugs developed specifically to fight COVID-19. Until now, doctors have been limited to treatments developed to fight other illnesses like Ebola, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Extra antibodies
When patients become infected with the novel coronavirus, it takes their bodies time to produce enough antibodies to beat back the infection.
Pharmaceutical companies Regeneron and Eli Lilly have developed synthetic antibodies that can be infused into patients shortly after they develop symptoms to help them mount a faster immune response. Eli Lilly’s drug is derived from antibodies isolated from one of the first U.S. patients to recover from COVID-19. Regeneron’s infusion contains a cocktail of two antibodies to help prevent the virus from becoming drug-resistant.
These so-called monoclonal antibodies are already used to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases and are generally well tolerated by patients, said Dr. Robert Gottlieb, who is principal investigator of some of the COVID-19 clinical trials at Baylor Scott & White. Baylor is testing the Eli Lilly and Regeneron formulations, while UT Southwestern is testing the Regeneron drug. In this file image obtained March 12, 2020 courtesy of The National Institutes of Health(NIH)/NIAD-RML shows a scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2 (round blue objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. The pharmaceutical firm Regeneron on July 6, 2020 announced it […]