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Peacehealth Offers Monoclonal Antibody Treatment In Florence

Peacehealth

Monoclonal antibody treatment is now available at Peacehealth Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence. The treatment is for patients with COVID-19 who are at risk for severe complications.

  

Peacehealth expanded the program to Florence after launching it two weeks ago at Valley River Urgent Care in Eugene. According to Doctor Brenda Ormesher with Peacehealth, more than 200 patients have been treated so far. She says it’s helping. But, the treatment is not a cure, nor does it provide immunity to COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is still the best way to avoid the virus.

 Monoclonal antibody IV therapy is only available with a provider referral. 

Monoclonal antibody therapy received Emergency Use Authorization from the Federal Drug Administration last November for certain groups of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

A form of immunotherapy traditionally used for patients with cancer and other diseases, monoclonal antibody treatment has shown to be very effective for patients who have mild to moderate symptoms from COVID-19 but a high risk of complications. The treatment continues to be active against the delta variant. Monoclonal antibodies are immune, lab-produced molecules designed to mimic the body’s natural response to infection. With COVID-19, these antibodies are made to recognize and bind to a part of the SARS-Co-V2 virus—the so-called spike protein—that enables it to infect human cells.

PeaceHealth is offering the combo drug therapy REGEN-COV (Carsirivimab/Imdevimab). Patients receive the antibodies through a 20-minute intravenous infusion followed by an hour of observation.

Monoclonal antibody treatment may be appropriate for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms or those with known contact to COVID-19 and a high risk of developing serious complications. It may be given to anyone age 12 or over who also meets at least one of the following criteria:

  • 65 years of age or older
  • Cardiovascular disease, including congenital heart disease, or hypertension
  • Chronic lung disease, including COPD, moderate to severe asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension
  • BMI above 25 or, if age 12-17, a BMI greater than 85th percentile for age and gender based on CDC growth charts
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Pregnant
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Receiving immunosuppressive treatment or have an immunosuppressive disease
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy, or other conditions that confer medical complexity (for example, genetic or metabolic syndromes and severe congenital abnormalities)
  • Medical-related technological dependence, such as tracheostomy, gastrostomy or positive pressure ventilation

This Emergency Use Authorization Fact Sheet for Patients provides more information about monoclonal antibody therapy.

 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.
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