The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense have ordered 150,000 new doses of bebtelovimab, the only monoclonal antibody drug shown to effectively tackle omicron and its subvariants.
Bebtelovimab is indicated for use in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are vulnerable to severe disease including hospitalization. The drug, delivered as an injection, is a safeguard for patients who cannot take or do not have access to other approved and authorized treatments.
The new purchase of 150,000 doses brings the total stockpiled to 750,000 doses and should “meet current demand levels through late August,” the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness said in a statement late last week.
Bebtelovimab must be taken within seven days of COVID-19 symptom onset. ASPR provides a therapeutics clinical decision aid to help clinicians in prescribing the correct COVID-19 treatment for individual patients.
Bebtelovimab and the oral antiviral Lagevrio (molnupiravir) are recommended when the oral antiviral Paxlovid or the infused antiviral Veklury (remdesivir) are not available, feasible or clinically appropriate.
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