Monoclonal antibodies are a "much underutilized intervention" for COVID-19, the White House's Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, said during an Aug. 24 briefing.
Dr. Fauci encouraged hospitals and physicians to make greater use of the therapy during the briefing.
"We want people out there, including physicians as well as potential patients, to realize the advantage of this very effective way of treating early infection," Dr. Fauci said. "Clinical trials have demonstrated that early treatment with anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies can reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization or death by 70 [percent] to 85 percent."
People who are obese, pregnant, have chronic conditions or are age 65 or older may benefit from the therapy, Dr. Fauci said. Regeneron's antibody cocktail is also authorized for use in preventing infection in people exposed to the virus, he added.
"Bottom line is this is a very effective intervention for COVID-19," Dr. Fauci said. "It is underutilized and we recommend strongly that we utilize this to its fullest."
At present, three monoclonal antibody products are authorized for emergency use by the FDA.
To view the full treatment guidelines for monoclonal antibodies, click here.