News Scan for Apr 13, 2022

Casirivimab-imdevimab may cut COVID hospitalizations, ICU stays, deathTwo new studies describe benefits of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment casirivimab-imdevimab in adult COVID-19 outpatients, both suggesting lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in an era dominated by the Delta variant.University of Pittsburgh researchers led the first study, published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

It compared 28-day hospitalization and death rates in 1,959 high-risk COVID-19 outpatients given a single dose of casirivimab-imdevimab either subcutaneously or intravenously (IV) or no treatment from Jul 14 to Oct 26, 2021.Among patients given subcutaneous casirivimab-imdevimab, the rate of hospitalization or death was 3.4%, compared with 7.0% in those receiving no treatment (risk ratio, 0.48).

A second analysis of 2,185 outpatients found a 2.8% rate of hospitalization or death after subcutaneous treatment, versus 1.7% after IV treatment (adjusted risk difference, 1.5%).Among all patients receiving an IV dose, rates of ICU admission and the need for mechanical ventilation were similar (adjusted risk difference, 0.7% and 0.2%, respectively). "These results provide preliminary evidence of potential expanded use of subcutaneous mAb treatment, particularly in areas that are facing treatment capacity and/or staffing shortages," the study authors wrote. Apr 12 JAMA Netw Open studyIn the second study, a team led by University of Arizona researchers studied outcomes in 4,213 adult COVID-19 patients given casirivimab-imdevimab and 4,213 matched, untreated control patients from Aug 1 to Oct 30, 2021.