Monoclonal Antibodies Lower Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalization in Cancer Patients

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) infusions can reduce the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization in patients with cancer, according to a study presented at the NCCN 2022 Annual Conference.

The data showed a significant reduction in hospitalizations up to 1 month post-infusion for unvaccinated patients receiving casirivimab plus imdevimab and a trend toward a reduction in patients receiving bamlanivimab.

There was no significant difference in post-infusion hospitalizations between patients with and without a history of cancer.

“The aim of our study was to analyze patients who were receiving monoclonal antibody infusions for COVID-19 symptoms and specifically compare the outcomes of patients with and without a history of malignancy,” said study author Alexa R. Wilden, a medical student at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Wilden and colleagues reviewed medical records of patients treated at the center between December 2020 and July 2021. The cohort included 345 patients who were unvaccinated and were approved to receive mAb infusions.

The patients received bamlanivimab (54%) or casirivimab plus imdevimab (27%), or they chose to not receive the infusion (19%). The population that received mAb infusions was 56% male, 50% older than 65 years, 70% White, 13% Hispanic, and 32% with a history of malignancy.

Compared with patients who chose not to receive mAbs, patients who received casirivimab plus imdevimab had a lower risk of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR], 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.50; P <.01).

There was a trend toward a lower risk of hospitalization for patients who received bamlanivimab, but the difference was not significant (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.23-1.04; P =.06).

A history of malignancy did not alter the risk of hospitalization (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.41-2.84; P =.83). The only predictor of increased hospitalization risk was Black race (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.31-10.2; P =.01).

“We were really excited to see that those who received the infusions did have a decreased hospitalization rate at 1 month post-infusion,” Wilden said. “Most exciting for us is that we found that there’s no difference in hospitalizations for those with and those without a history of malignancy. What we take from this is that, as we continue to deal with omicron, and any other variant that comes next, we want to urge people to continue the development of these infusions. That way, we have good options for our cancer patients.”

Reference

Wilden AR, Sannareddy A, Patel H, et al. Real world outcomes of cancer patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection receiving monoclonal antibodies. Presented at NCCN 2022 Annual Conference; March 31 – April 2, 2022. Abstract HSR22-178.

This article originally appeared on Cancer Therapy Advisor