Individuals at risk of serious illness or death from SARS-CoV-2 now have access in Augusta to a drug that can increase their immune system.
Augusta University Health can offer treatment with Evusheld, a preventative therapy medication from AstraZeneca.
“Evusheld is an injection of monoclonal antibodies designed to provide protection against COVID-19 in patients that may not mount an adequate immune response from vaccination alone,” said Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer and vice president of AU Health System.
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Coule cautioned this is not a replacement for vaccination, but this therapy is especially critical for the most vulnerable individuals.
“Some patients, cancer patients, organ transplant patients, people undergoing specialized treatments may not mount an immune response to the vaccine, because their immune system is so impaired. And so, what this does is kind of steps in and provides them immunity, at least for a several month period, at vulnerable times in their treatment, or in preparation for treatment,” Coule said.
It is administered in two shots in the buttocks, one right after the other.
The Food and Drug Administration granted AstraZeneca Emergency Use Authorization for Evusheld in December 2021.
Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals at R&D, AstraZeneca, said, “We now have the first antibody therapy authorized in the US to prevent COVID-19 symptoms before virus exposure, while also providing long lasting protection with a single dose.”
The first COVID-19 case in Augusta was confirmed on March 15, 2020. Now, just under two years later, there are multiple vaccines, Pfizer’s antiviral medication, Paxlovid, that doctors can prescribe for at home use in infected people, rapid, at-home testing kits and now a drug that can help prevent infection in the most vulnerable individuals.
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“We have come so far in treatment modalities and understanding COVID-19 as well as of course, the fact that the virus has mutated during this time. So, we’re at a much different spot now than we were two years ago. Without a doubt that the tools and the treatments and the therapies and the vaccines are absolutely light years away from where we were,” Coule said.
Patients are eligible to get Evusheld if they are age 12 years or older; weight at least 88 pounds and are not currently infected with or recently exposed to COVID-19. Patients who think they are eligible should talk with their doctor.
More information about the treatment is available at: https://www.evusheld.com/
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
