The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended this Friday the combined use of Casirivimab and IMDEVIMAB drugs, which use monoclonal antibodies, to treat non-serious cases of COVID-19 at risk of hospitalization, although it asked the firm that manufactures that
Facilitate your access, given its high cost.
The two drugs are produced by the American company Regeneron and were those who used the then US President, Donald Trump, when Covid-19 contracted, although a treatment with them, without sanitary covers, can cost thousands of dollars.
In its update of care guidelines for Covid-19 patients, WHO has decided to include this cocktail of monoclonal antibodies, which also recommends in serious and critical cases of the disease, but only if the affected does not have antibodies against it.
It is the first treatment recommended by WHO in non-severe cases of Covid-19, since until now only had two drugs on its list, and only for patients in serious or critical state: corticosteroids such as dexamethasone (low price and available
Around the world) and interleukin-6 antagonists, much more expensive.
Other treatments tested last year (hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir, interferon, lopinavir, ritonavir, ivermectin) were discarded by their scarce effect in patients, although WHO is currently medical test with three other candidates (Artsunate, Imatinib and Infliximab).
Following the inclusion of monoclonal antibodies, WHO asked for this Friday in a statement to the manufacturer and governments that make efforts to lower their price and increase their access in all markets, especially in countries of average and low income.
Similar request launched medical without borders (MSF), which demanded Regeneron “taking immediate actions to ensure that drugs are affordable and accessible to all who need it, avoiding monopolizing these new treatments.”
Monoclonal antibodies are artificial proteins that have also been used in certain types of cancer, although MSF complaint that companies attempts to create similar versions of these products have often been found with regulatory barriers due to possible patent violation.
