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Therapy with monoclonal antibodies it works. “One more weapon against Covid“, said today the Councilor for Wellbeing and the Vice President of the Region. Lombardy Letizia Moratti announces the prescription and use of treatment in 17 authorized centers (public and private structures) in the Lombardy region. Meanwhile, the first positive results for patients on monoclonal treatment come from Liguria and Piedmont, while in Abruzzo the go-ahead has been given in the coming days.
The advantages of monoclonal therapy
If it is not manna from heaven, certainly, monoclonals are the ace in the game (still very open) against Covid. These are substances (proteins made in the laboratory) that mimic the defense capacity of our immune system by targeting the SARS-CoV-2 peak protein. The data from the studies published so far indicate that the benefit is in non-hospitalized subjects, therefore in patients with mild or moderate symptoms of the infection. In particular, these drugs break down the viral load Reduce the risk that the infection will develop into an acute form. The monoclonal antibodies that received the green light in Italy on February 3 are those produced by Regeneron and Eli Lilly. Therapies are administered by intravenous infusion and “They should be carried out – Aifa experts say – in a time of 60 minutes (followed by another 60 minutes of observation) and in environments that allow rapid and adequate management of any serious adverse reaction“. The candidate population for treatment with monoclonal antibodies, highlights the opinion of Cts Aifa, should be represented.”only of subjects older than 12 years, positive for Sars-CoV-2, not hospitalized for Covid-19, without oxygen therapy for Covid-19, with mild-moderate symptoms of recent appearance (and in any case for no more than 10 days) and the presence of at least one of the risk factors (or at least 2 if one of them is over 65) “such as Chronic Kidney Disease, Uncontrolled Diabetes, Immunodeficiencies.
The first treatment in Piedmont
The first treatment with monoclonal therapy, in Italy, he went to the Alessandria hospital. This was announced two days ago by the Giunta Cirio Councilor for Health, Luigi Icardi. “Is a cure – Icardi explained to Ansa –be practiced in a specialized clinic or hospital, but the fundamental aspect remains the correct and timely interaction between the territorial system of medicine and the hospitals. A strategy that in Piedmont is giving very encouraging results ”.
The head of Infectious Diseases at the Alexandria hospital, Guido Chichino, said that last Tuesday night a patient with suspected symptoms of Covid-19 came to the Dea. The tests confirmed the diagnosis and, on Wednesday morning, the patient was enrolled for monoclonal antibody treatment. The administration of the Bamlanivimab drug, authorized by the AIFA, was carried out without problems. In fact, the patient has already been discharged.
Monoclonal treatments are underway in Lombardy
With a note published late in the afternoon of Friday, March 26, the Vice President and Councilor for Welfare of the Lombardy Region, Letizia moratti, announced the prescription and use of monoclonal treatment in 17 authorized centers (public and private structures) in the Lombardy region. “Another weapon, in this case as therapy, to be deployed in our health care against Covid – Letizia Moratti explained – To date, among Asst, public and private accredited Irccs, in Lombardy the centers authorized to prescribe and administer these treatments are the 17 infectious diseases present in our territory, in addition to Asst Valtellina and Alto Lario. Five other Asst are awaiting clearance. Authorization that, in fact, will expand the number of people affected by recent onset Covid and with mild and moderate symptoms. These subjects can be treated in these ways”.
New stocks arrive for Liguria
“We reached 9 subjects treated in San Martino with monoclonal antibodies in less than a week. They are all well and, for the moment, they are all at home. The feeling in clinical practice is that they work very well.“Say you are the infectious diseases specialist of San Martino di Genova, Matteo bassetti, who shows moderate enthusiasm for the findings obtained with the monoclonal therapy to which 9 infected patients were subjected.
Liguria, along with Piedmont, was the first region to administer the new therapy. According to Telenord, another 239 vials of monoclonal antibodies will be distributed in the Genoese capital in the next few hours: 84 will go to the San Remo hospital, 48 to S. Bartolomeo di Sarzana and 107 will go to San Martino. “We plan to get 10-15 treatments a day, if necessary. The treatments for this week are 75 for Liguria. At this time, therefore, the drug is not lacking and this is a positive development. Monoclonals are available in all regions, so it depends on how the individual hospitals are organized.Bassetti concluded.
Monoclonal therapy approved also in Abruzzo
Monoclonal antibodies will also reach Abruzzo. According to what has been learned from ilcapoluogo.it, the first hospital to use it will be that of Pescara. The announcement came on Wednesday, March 24, following a resolution by the regional council. The Local Health Authorities have identified the authorized centers for the administration of medicines, which can therefore be used in the infectious diseases operating units of the hospitals of L’Aquila, Avezzano, Chieti, Vasto, Teramo and in the Hospital Covid de Pescara . The role of general practitioners and free choice pediatricians, who will be able to evaluate the conditions of administration of the drug to patients who test positive in the molecular test, will be decisive.
Authorized centers in Sicily
In Sicily, the distribution of monoclonals is still quite fragmented. According to what has been learned from the Gazzetta del Sud, Catania is the municipality with the largest number of authorized centers: 5 hospitals, two of them in the province. Palermo continues with 4 hospitals, two of which in the province, Agrigento with 3 of which two in the province, Caltanissetta with two, one of which in Gela and Ragusa, Trapani and Enna with one. Today, Messina has also re-entered the list with the Polyclinic and it is likely that the Papardo hospital will also present the required documentation in the coming days. The position of the IRCCS-Piemonte is different, which, by choice, has not accepted this opportunity for the moment “Type of patients – explains medical director Pippo Rao – that, in the company’s hospitals, it is “
