Hyderabad-based Asian Institute of Gastroenterology is carrying out one of their largest studies where as many as 40 Covid patients have taken a single-dose drug cocktail of monoclonal antibodies and almost in 100 per cent (cases), the virus disappeared. This “monoclonal antibody” therapy is being studied to find out whether it will be effective against the highly infectious Delta variant.
Dr Nageshwar Reddy, Chairperson of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology stated that the patients recovered from their clinical symptoms in 24 hours when analysed after one week. Dr Reddy further added, “Studies from the US have shown that this is effective against the British variant, Brazilian and South African variants also. No one has tested it against the Delta variant we have here.”
This therapy was administered to former US president Donald Trump when he tested COVID-19 positive last year. Casirivimab and Indevimab, which cost around Rs 70,000 or 1000 US dollars in India, are two of the drug cocktail’s main medicines.
Doctors warn about its overuse as it may lead to emergence of more mutant viruses. Patients who had undergone this therapy are advised to take the vaccines after 3 months have passed due to the presence of high levels of antibodies in the patients after the procedure.
