What is Cocktail Injection for COVID, How Much Does it Cost in India

In individuals with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, an antibody cocktail is believed to lower the likelihood of hospitalisation by 70%. Here's all you need to know about the treatment.

Last year, the antibody cocktail made headlines after it was used to treat former US President Donald Trump. In patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, the medication is believed to minimise the likelihood of hospitalisation by 70%.

What Is An Antibody Cocktail, And How Does It Work?

A mixture of two monoclonal antibodies is used in the treatment. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to protect itself from sickness. Monoclonal antibodies are manufactured in a lab and are specifically designed to combat a certain illness.

The antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab, which are part of Roche's antibody cocktail, are directed particularly against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. They prevent the virus from attaching to human cells and then infecting them. Antibodies are used in tandem to defend against the body's resistance to them.

Who Is Advised To Take An Antibody Cocktail?

Patients with mild to moderate symptoms in adults who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness will be treated with the antibody cocktail.

According to a recognised cardiologist and founder of Medanta, Dr Naresh Trehan, the medication is most suited for "high-risk Covid-19 patients" and must be delivered within 48-72 hours of patient testing positive for Covid-19, if not sooner.

It is suggested that it be administered to paediatric patients who are 12 years old or older and weigh at least 40 kg. In patients who require oxygen treatment and are hospitalised owing to severe COVID-19, the therapy is not indicated.

What Is The Procedure For Administering An Antibody Cocktail?

Antibody cocktail injections are given intravenously or subcutaneously (under the skin). If the injections are delivered subcutaneously, there will be four locations on the body where they can be given. A complete dosage of an antibody cocktail takes roughly 20–30 minutes to administer. After that, the patient will be observed for an hour to see whether there are any negative effects.

Which Companies Sell This Antibody Combination In India And Throughout The World?

The antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron and Roche was approved for emergency use in India on May 5 and is being supplied by Cipla. Earlier this week, the first batch of medicine was made accessible in the country.

The cost of a 1,200 mg dosage (600 mg Casirivimab plus 600 mg Imdevimab) is Rs 59,750. The cost of a multi-dose pack (which can treat two people) is Rs 1,19,500. It must be kept at a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

It is now being given out at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana. According to PTI, the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi will begin giving the treatment on Thursday.

Zydus Cadila has also applied for authorisation to conduct early-to-late-stage human studies of its ZRC-3308 antibody cocktail candidate to treat mild COVID-19 sufferers. During animal experiments, the antibody cocktail decreased lung damage and was proven to be safe and well-tolerated, according to Zydus Cadila.

Aside from Regeneron, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved comparable therapies developed by Vir Biotechnology, GlaxoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly for emergency use.

What Conclusions Have Been Drawn From The Research?

Roche released the findings of its Phase-III worldwide trials in high-risk non-hospitalized Covid-19 patients in March of this year. The results indicated that when compared to placebo, the antibody cocktail medication lowered the risk of hospitalisation or death by 70% and reduced the length of symptoms by four days.