Covid-19: Cocktail drug considerably reduces hospital stay, say doctors

Drug includes two monoclonal antibodies, Casirivimab and Imdevimab, that mimic the action of natural antibodies. Representation pic

The cocktail therapy, touted as the miracle treatment for COVID-19, considerably reduces hospital stay and recovery, shows a data analysed by SevenHills Hospital, which is one of the biggest BMC-run COVID-19 facilities.

The data analysis, which is part of a larger study by the doctors at SevenHills, includes 506 COVID-19 patients who were given monoclonal antibody cocktail. Till date, more than 810 patients have received the cocktail therapy at SevenHills.

The drug includes two monoclonal antibodies (artificial antibodies) - Casirivimab and Imdevimab - that mimic the action of natural antibodies.

Maharudra Kumbhar, an officer on special duty at SevenHills, said, "They are similar to natural antibodies that are produced in our bodies to fight against the virus." At SevenHills, it was observed that patients who received this cocktail drug got relief from COVID-19 symptoms within 48 hours, he added.

Less hospitalisation

According to the doctors who are part of the analysis, it was seen that the average hospital stay was eight days and the average time for a patient to get a negative RT-PCR report was seven days.

Dr Rajas Walinjkar, Unit In-charge at SevenHills, who is part of the analysis, said, "Out of the 506 patients who received the drug, the disease progressed in only three cases in terms of requiring oxygen support. All the three were above the age of 70 years and were brought to the hospital with the infection involving the lungs and having borderline oxygen saturation levels."

The analysed data has been submitted to the ICMR.

Doctors said the majority of these patients did not require steroids, remdesivir or tocilizumab injections. "There were no deaths, and none of these patients needed ICU stay," said Dr Walinjkar.

The recipients of the cocktail drug were either aged 60-plus or had comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, past history of tuberculosis or other significant medical history like obesity.

Treatment started May-end

The city hospitals started using the cocktail antibody therapy towards the end of May this year.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said it's a good drug, but must be administered with proper medical advice.

"The treating doctor must do the assessment and then decide if the patient is the right candidate for the cocktail therapy," he said.

The state task force has also drafted guidelines on use of the cocktail antibody therapy, so that it's not misused.

"This is a lifesaving therapy indicated for adults and paediatric patients (12 years of age or older weighing at least 40 kg) who are at the risk of progressing to severe COVID-19. The dos and don'ts have to be stringently followed. It has to be judiciously used and given only after assessing the risk," said Dr Kedar Toraskar, critical care specialist, Wockhardt Hospital and a member of the state task force.

810
No. of patients who got cocktail therapy at SevenHills