Coronavirus Antibody Treatments Might Prevent COVID-19

Antibody treatment perfect for patients unable to be vaccinated

Antibody therapies are also used to prevent the infection, unlike antiviral drugs that are used to treat an infection. This treatment will be very helpful for those who can’t get vaccinated because of age or other illnesses, says Dr. Pham.

“In particular, in settings of elderly populations … prior to the outbreak, you can deliver an antibody-based therapy to protect that population that wouldn’t be able to mount an immune response [to a vaccine],” she added.

This treatment can also be used for people at high risk of infection, like healthcare workers, but researchers are still trying to figure out how long the immunity would last.

Moreover, antibody therapies are already used in treating cancer and immune disorders. Dr. Labzin believes this treatment will be more useful than the antivirals currently available on the market.

“I think the main drawback is that these antibody therapies are not cheap to make — at least not yet,” she said. “But they’re definitely less expensive than they were.”