Covid’s ‘hidden heroes’

Covid’s ‘hidden heroes’

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – Antivirals, monoclonal antibodies and viral-killing pills are under development, but making them accessible will be a challenge.

Concept –

• Antivirals, monoclonal antibodies or small molecules (pills) are the “hidden heroes” the biopharmaceutical industry is putting its money on.
• Monoclonal antibody treatments are beginning to offer promise for outpatient treatment, as are novel antivirals.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

• Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, also called monoclonal antibody infusion treatment, is a way of treating COVID-19.
• The goal of this therapy is to help prevent hospitalizations, reduce viral loads and lessen symptom severity.
• This type of therapy relies on monoclonal antibodies. These are antibodies that are similar to the ones your body would naturally make in response to infection. However, monoclonal antibodies are mass-produced in a laboratory and are designed to recognize a specific component of this virus — the spike protein on its outer shell.
• By targeting the spike protein, these specific antibodies interfere with the virus’ ability to attach and gain entry into human cells. They give the immune system a leg up until it can mount its own response.
• This therapy can be extremely effective, but it’s not a replacement for vaccination.
• If a person is already sick, that means monoclonal antibodies prevent them from having severe symptoms that require hospitalization. If someone has been exposed, monoclonal antibodies can fend off the virus to prevent them from becoming sick in the first place.
• Monoclonal antibody therapy is given through intravenous (IV) infusion.
• One possible side effect of monoclonal antibody therapy is an allergic reaction. These reactions typically only occur during infusion or soon after.
• Monoclonal antibody treatment is available to individuals who:
  • Are high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and
  • Have a positive COVID-19 test and have not yet been admitted to the hospital and12 years of age or older (and at least 88 pounds).
  • Are

How is it different from a vaccine?

• A vaccine helps stimulate and prepare your immune system to respond if or when you are exposed to the virus. “Your immune system is ready to create all these antibodies before they are needed.”
• Monoclonal antibodies boost the immune system after you are already sick, speeding up your immune response to prevent COVID-19 from getting worse. “But a vaccine does this much easier and much better.”
• You can think of monoclonal antibodies as guided missiles that target and neutralize the virus. But they don’t stick around. While monoclonal antibodies are effective for about a month, they are long gone 6 months later, when a vaccine still offers significant protection.

Antivirals

• Antivirals are medications that help your body fight off certain viruses that can cause disease. Antiviral drugs are also preventive.
• They can protect you from getting viral infections or spreading a virus to others.
• Antiviral medications help the body fight off harmful viruses. The drugs can ease symptoms and shorten the length of a viral infection.
• Antivirals also lower the risk of getting or spreading viruses that cause herpes and HIV.
• Viral infections like HIV, hepatitis and herpes are chronic. Antivirals can’t get rid of the virus, which stays in your body. However, antiviral medicines can make the virus latent (inactive) so that you have few, if any, symptoms. Symptoms that develop while you take antivirals may be less severe or go away faster.

How do antiviral medications work?

• Antiviral medicines work differently depending on the drug and virus type. Antivirals can:
  • Block receptors so viruses can’t bind to and enter healthy cells.
  • Boost the immune system, helping it fight off a viral infection.
  • Lower the viral load (amount of active virus) in the body.

Difference between Antibiotics and Antivirals –

• Antibiotics help the immune system fight off bacterial infections. Bacteria typically reproduce outside of cells, making it easier for medicines to target them. An antibiotic can usually treat many different types of bacterial infections. But the drugs do not affect viruses.
• Each antiviral only works against a specific virus. Because viruses inside cells are harder to target, antiviral drugs are more challenging to develop. There are more viruses than antiviral drugs to treat them.