New monoclonal antibody treatment site opening in Jacksonville

2 years ago 329

FILE

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The authorities of Florida volition unfastened 5 further monoclonal antibody attraction sites — including 1 successful Jacksonville — starting Tuesday.

The caller tract successful Duval County volition beryllium located astatine the Southside Senior Center astatine 10080 Beach Blvd. and volition beryllium unfastened 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Jan. 3, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called connected the national government to summation the proviso of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 to Florida. He aboriginal announced 15,000 doses of Regeneron had been secured to enactment caller attraction sites successful Florida.

PREVIOUS STORY: DeSantis: Additional monoclonal antibody attraction tract to unfastened successful Jacksonville

In Jacksonville, free Regeneron attraction is besides disposable astatine the Joseph Lee Center astatine 5120 Perry St.

For much than a year, antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly person been the go-to treatments for aboriginal COVID-19, acknowledgment to their quality to caput disconnected terrible illness and support patients retired of the hospital. But both drugmakers precocious warned that laboratory investigating suggests their therapies volition beryllium overmuch little potent against the omicron variant, which contains dozens of mutations that marque it harder for antibodies to onslaught the virus. And portion the companies accidental they tin rapidly make caller omicron-targeting antibodies, those aren’t expected to motorboat for astatine slightest respective months.

“One of the reasons omicron is truthful concerning, is due to the fact that it has specified a ample fig of mutations,” Dr. Jonathan Kantor told News4JAX. “You tin deliberation astir the viruses -- the lock, for example. So if it’s each those mutations somewhat changed, wherever the pins are successful the lock, than the antibody -- which is the cardinal -- mightiness not acceptable rather arsenic well.”

Kantor, a student astatine the Penn Center for Global Health, said the lone antibody attraction shown to enactment against the omicron variant is sotrovimab.

“The information that we’re seeing present is suggesting that sotrovimab would beryllium the monoclonal antibody of prime to use,” Kantor said. “And that, you know, it whitethorn not adjacent beryllium worthwhile to dainty with monoclonal antibodies.”

And Dr. Kantor says uncovering this signifier of attraction has been hard crossed the US.

“A fig of states person fundamentally been trying to ration their sotrovimab for those patients who could payment the astir from it. So for example, those who are immunosuppressed,” Kantor said.

While companies similar Regeneron and Eli Lilly accidental they tin rapidly make caller omicron-targeting antibodies, those aren’t expected to motorboat for astatine slightest respective months.

A afloat database of state-supported oregon antecedently state-supported operational monoclonal antibody therapy sites tin beryllium recovered here.