LSU Health New Orleans is participating in a national clinical trial on the use of lab-created monoclonal antibodies as a way to treat patients hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. Pulmonary critical care specialist Dr. Bennett deBoisblanc says the hope is that the monoclonal antibody would prevent viral attachment to cells.
“If the virus can’t attach, it can’t get inside the cell to reproduce itself,” said deBoisblanc.
The trial is being done with the National Institutes of Health.
deBoisblanc says instead of waiting on a COVID patient to produce their own antibodies, they hope to administer the lab-grown version to help fight off a worsening condition.
“We could theoretically give your these antibodies earlier in the disease when the virus is replicating at a rapid rate,” said deBoisblanc.
Patients hospitalized with mild or moderate COVID-19 with fewer than 13 days of symptoms bay volunteer to participate.
deBoisblanc says if these trials are not fruitful, there are other treatments to help and more research on the horizon.
“Even if the virus has replicated, theoretically, we could prevent some of the damage and we have additional therapies that we’ll be investigating in the months ahead,” said deBoisblanc.
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