Experts advise against antibody drugs in pediatric COVID-19

As of now, antibody therapies for COVID-19 should not be used to treat infections with the new coronavirus in children or adolescents, “including those … at high risk of progression to hospitalization or severe disease,” according to a panel of experts from 29 hospitals across North America who reviewed the available evidence.

The antibody drugs – bamlanivimab from Eli Lilly and Co and the combination of casirivimab plus imdevimab from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – were authorized in November by the U.S Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in certain groups of adolescents and adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

But in a paper published on Sunday in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the panel of experts said: “The course of COVID-19 in children and adolescents is typically mild and there is no high-quality evidence supporting any high risk groups.

There is no evidence for safety and efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapy for treatment of COVID-19 in children or adolescents, limited evidence of modest benefit in adults, and evidence for potential harm.”