New therapies designed to lessen severity of virus for non-hospitalized patients
Jan. 26, 2021 (Winchester, KY) – Clark Regional Medical Center is offering two new monoclonal antibody therapies, (1) bamlanivimab and (2) casirivimab – imdevimab, for treatment of non-hospitalized patients with a mild or moderate case of COVID-19. Bamlanivimab is a one drug regimen while casirivimab – imdevimab has two drug components.. Developed by pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. respectively, the drugs recently received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are now being allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in partnership with various agencies including the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that potentiate the patient’s immune system’s ability to fight off harmful viruses. Bamlanivimab and casirivimab – imdevimab are specifically designed to help block the SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19) virus and prevent the virus from further infecting healthy cells. Administered intravenously, this innovative treatment is designed to help lessen the severity of COVID-19 in individuals who are COVID-19-positive and are at risk for developing a severe form of the disease.
“Clark Regional Medical Center is proud to offer these treatments locally for qualifying patients, and our team has seen promising results in our patients,” said Bruce Kostelnik, DO, an ER Physician at Clark Regional Medical Center. “Offering these treatments locally is an important step forward in helping prevent the most at-risk patients from being hospitalized due to COVID-19.”
Patients must meet specific clinical criteria, including: (1) having a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19; (2) having mild or moderate symptoms that first appeared within 10 days of infusion; (3) having underlying health conditions or are 65 years of age or older. Potential patients should be stable enough not to require hospitalization. Bamlanivimab and casirivimab – imdevimab are investigational treatments and patients must be informed of this fact. The hospital’s supply is limited and requires an order from the patient’s medical provider.
For more information about monoclonal antibody treatment now available at Bourbon Community Hospital, click here https://www.clarkregional.org/our-services/emergency-department/monoclonal-antibody-treatment-for-covid-19-patients
About Clark Regional Medical Center
Clark Regional Medical Center, part of LifePoint Health®, provides high-quality healthcare services in the east Central Kentucky region and is dedicated to Making Communities Healthier®. A 79-bed, acute care facility, Clark Regional Medical Center offers a wide range of both inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency medicine, cardiology, general surgery, oncology/hematology, orthopedics, radiology, rehabilitation services, transitional care, women’s services, women’s imaging (including 3D mammography) and wound care. The hospital has been recognized for its commitment to quality care and patient safety by national organizations such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American College of Cardiology (Chest Pain Center accreditation), American College of Radiology, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety and the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Additionally, Clark Regional Medical Center has earned designation as a LifePoint Health National Quality Leader for its ongoing efforts to transform its culture of safety and achieve high standards of quality care, performance improvement and patient engagement. For more information about Clark Regional Medical Center, please call 859-745-3500 or visit ClarkRegional.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit www.LifePointHealth.net.
