Monoclonal antibody cocktail available at Nashik civil hosp, Health News, ET HealthWorld

Nashik: For the first time, the Nashik Civil hospital has started using a monoclonal antibody cocktail — Regn-Cov — to treat mildly symptomatic, but high-risk, Covid patients as the hospital received 100 vials from the state government, said the district civil surgeon Dr Ashok Thorat

The drug, costing Rs 1.2 lakh, has been provided by the state government and it is being administered free of cost. Two patients with comorbidity have so far been given the drug and their health is improving. The patients’ health is being closely monitored.

“We have received 100 vials of the medicine, which can be administered to 200 patients. The doses will be administered at the civil hospital’s out patients’ department (OPD) as it does not require to be admitted,” Thorat said.

The private hospitals have also been informed about the availability of the drug at the civil hospital and asked them to refer the patients to the hospital if the criteria matches.

“The only criteria attached is the condition of the patient. There is no other restriction on who can be given the drug,” he said.

Pramod Gunjal, a physician at civil hospital, said the drug is called a ‘cocktail drug’ because it is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies — Casirivimab and Imdevimab — that cuts down the chance of hospitalisation of the high-risk Covid patients by more than 70%.

“There are several conditions in which the patients with mild to moderate conditions of Covid can be given the medicine. Those, who are above 60 years of age, has cardiovascular disease including hypertension, asthma, chronic kidney, lung diseases can be described as high-risk categories. They are eligible for the drug,” he said.

The ones who are admitted and require oxygen support are excluded, said Gunjal