[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/monoclonal-antibodies\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/monoclonal-antibodies\/","headline":"What Are Monoclonal Antibodies? How Are They Used to Treat COVID-19?","name":"What Are Monoclonal Antibodies? How Are They Used to Treat COVID-19?","description":"Monoclonal antibodies can help treat COVID-19 infections in people with mild or moderate disease. But what are monoclonal antibodies and how do they work?","datePublished":"2021-01-19","dateModified":"2023-07-14","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/iStock-1215243437.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/iStock-1215243437.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/monoclonal-antibodies\/","about":["COVID-19"],"wordCount":565,"articleBody":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its publish date. We also encourage you to visit other reliable websites for updated information, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and your state and local governments.\u00a0Monoclonal antibodies are lab-created antibodies that can help your body fight off specific infections.Scientists have been working hard since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to find treatments. Monoclonal antibodies are one of the most promising COVID-19 treatments.What Are Monoclonal Antibodies?When a pathogen such as a virus or bacteria enters the body, your immune system recognizes it as foreign.Your immune system then produces Y-shaped proteins called\u00a0antibodies\u00a0that attach to the pathogen and stop it from entering cells. Antibodies also help destroy the pathogen.Monoclonal antibodies\u00a0are antibodies that scientists created in the lab. They act like \u201csubstitute\u201d antibodies in someone with a disease.Researchers design\u00a0monoclonal antibodies\u00a0to attach to a single specific substance in the body. These antibodies help the immune system attack the disease by mimicking the body\u2019s antibodies or supporting the immune system\u2019s work.\u201cWe\u2019ve designed the monoclonal antibodies to block the ability of the virus to attach and enter into your cells,\u201d says Graham Snyder, MD, medical director, Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC. \u201cEssentially, it\u2019s now floating around helpless and weak, so your body can clear it out.\u201dSeveral different monoclonal antibodies are already important in fighting certain cancers or slowing the progression of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.How Do Monoclonal Antibodies Fight COVID-19?Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA authorized several monoclonal antibodies as treatments for people infected with SARS-CoV-2. The FDA paused some of those treatments as they showed less effectiveness against certain COVID-19 variants. But they could become available again in the future.In December 2021, the FDA authorized a monoclonal antibody \u2014 a combination of the drugs tixagevimab and cilgavimab, known as Evusheld\u2122 \u2014 as a preventive COVID-19 treatment.As of January 2023, Evusheld is no longer effective against the most recent COVID-19 variants. As a result, the FDA has revoked its EUA for the drug, and it can no longer be administered in the U.S. UPMC has stopped administering Evusheld accordingly.The makers of Evusheld are developing an updated version of the medicine to protect against current and future COVID-19 variants. This new medicine is in the testing phases, and it is unclear when it will be available to patients.More potential monoclonal antibody treatments could become available in the future. Editor's Note: This video was originally published on January 19, 2021, and was last reviewed on July 14, 2023.SourcesNational Cancer Institute. Monoclonal antibody. LinkUS Food and Drug Administration. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19. November 9, 2020. LinkUS Food and Drug Administration. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19. November 21, 2020. LinkUS Food and Drug Administration. COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions. LinkUS Food and Drug Administration. Fact sheet for healthcare providers emergency use authorization (EUA) of bamlanivimab. LinkUS Food and Drug Administration. Fact sheet for healthcare providers emergency use authorization (EUA) of casirivimab and imdevimab. 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