Minnesota is receiving about 2,400 doses of a new COVID-19 drug therapy that could reduce the need for hospital stays and trips to the emergency room.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has started distribution of bamlanivimab, the new treatment for people with mild and moderate cases of COVID-19, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Minnesota Department of Health.
With limited supplies of the treatment, the federal government expects to ship supplies of the medication on a weekly basis to health care facilities through the end of 2020, the Health Department says.
The treatment is a “monoclonal antibody” therapy similar to the one received by President Donald Trump after he was sickened with COVID-19. Whereas Trump was hospitalized and received a different treatment, this drug is being made available only to people who haven’t been hospitalized and don’t require oxygen therapy, the Health Department says.
“To be able to use this treatment, people should get tested as soon as possible if they become ill and reach out to their health care provider quickly if they receive a positive test,” Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist and medical director for the Minnesota Department of Health, said in a statement. “Supplies will be limited at this point, but this therapy provides an additional option to help limit the impacts of this serious disease.”
The treatment received Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 9. It’s a time-sensitive therapy, the state says, and must be given as soon as possible after a positive result and within 10 days of developing symptoms.
Due to supply limits, the state has been working with medical ethicists to develop a framework for deciding which patients should get the treatment, the Health Department says. Only children and adults who are at high risk for severe disease will be eligible, the state says, adding that those patients were highlighted as potential candidates by federal regulators.
“I think it’s a very promising treatment,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, a health policy expert at Duke University, during a call with reporters Tuesday.
The challenge is that administering the treatment raises a number of logistical challenges including an hourlong infusion, said McClellan, who was a top health official in the administration of President George W. Bush. He added: “I do worry about the supply we have.”
The Health Department said the treatment was shown in a study to decrease the need for hospitalizations and emergency department visits; it also was shown to decrease the amount of virus as measured through molecular testing of the upper respiratory tract.
Side effects in clinical studies have included nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, itching and vomiting in between 2% and 4% of people. Serious reactions such as allergic reactions or infusion reactions have occurred, the Health Department said, but are uncommon. Studies are ongoing, so not all side effects may be known at this time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.