Antibody Cocktail Effective, But Cost Factor Might Become The Hindrance

A month after the antibody cocktail was approved for treating mild to moderate Covid-19 in high-risk patients in India, some leading private hospitals have said they have achieved remarkable results with its usage so far.

- Sumi Sukanya Dutta

This therapy, due to its exorbitant costs and very complex manufacturing process, however, is likely to remain a niche product and not a widely used tool in the country’s fight against the pandemic. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses. of late, some monoclonal antibodies have been specifically designed to target the spike protein of the Covid — they do not let the virus attach itself and enter into the human cells.

In February, the US drug regulator had issued an emergency use authorization for monoclonal antibodies, Bamlanivimab, and Etesevimab, months after then US President Donald Trump was treated with the therapy while infected with the virus.