Monoclonal Antibody Treatments; Why Are They So Important?
What are Monoclonal Antibody Treatments? According to the FDA, they are basically synthetic antibodies that help your body fight off infection, and they are being recommended in the fight against COVID-19.
District Three Congressman Clay Higgins is urging Governor John Bel Edwards to open up access to Monoclonal antibody treatment to more people in the state of Louisiana. The infusions, he says should be made available to all medical institutions across the state. He is hoping that if the expansion enables smaller institutions to be able to administer the antibodies then more people will recover from COVID-19 infection.
Higgins sent a letter to Governor Edwards today calling on him to make the treatment widely available.
Higgins wrote,
COVID-19 and Delta have overwhelmed many of Louisiana's hospital systems, and expanding beyond hospital distribution of mAb supplies to smaller but capable facilities can only help to lessen this burden. This also allows for more local access to these treatments, which will save lives in more rural areas where hospital access is limited.
Here is a copy of the letter Higgins sent to Governor Edwards:
Governor Edwards,
COVID-19 and its Delta variant have presented unique challenges to healthcare systems across Louisiana. Expanding the availability of Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Treatments to all medical facilities that are capable of administering it, including infusion centers and qualified medical clinics across the state, can play an important role in combating this virus.
These mAb treatments have been cleared for those 12 years of age and older who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19 and are at high risk for severe illness. The antibodies have been shown to aid the immune system in detecting and combating the virus.
To make mAb treatments more widely accessible, especially within our rural communities, I ask that you direct the Louisiana Department of Health to actively and aggressively promote the availability of this treatment to all medical facilities across the state, much like the State of Florida has done. COVID-19 and Delta have overwhelmed many of Louisiana’s hospital systems, and expanding beyond hospital distribution of mAb supplies to smaller but capable facilities can only help to lessen this burden. This also allows for more local access to these treatments, which will save lives in more rural areas where hospital access is limited.
These therapeutics have life-saving abilities, and it is our duty as elected officials to ensure that they are rapidly and efficiently deployed where needed. I look forward to working with you on this mission.
The state of Florida has been using this form of treatment with success, and now the state of Alabama is doing the same.
When I spoke to Ochsner Lafayette Chief Executive Officer Al Patin last week, he said that they are working to administer monoclonal antibodies when they can. They would need more equipment and more staffing to continue to expand this type of treatment.
Here is a link to information from Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette about their program for monoclonal antibody treatment.