Another South Florida hospital now offering novel COVID-19 therapy

WESTON, Fla. – The Cleveland Clinic Weston is now the seventh hospital in the area to have access to the monoclonal antibody therapy approved by the FDA for emergent use. The experimental therapy for COVID-19 is showing benefits for some high-risk patients.

“And those high risk conditions can be advanced age, cardiovascular disease, diabetes among other things. The goal of the therapy is against the spike protein so it helps neutralize the coronavirus early in the course of disease,” said Dr. Carla McWilliams, an infectious disease specialist with the Cleveland Clinic Weston, who said the therapy is for outpatients only.

Studies on the use of monoclonal antibodies has shown a decrease in hospitalizations rates.

And as vaccinations against the coronavirus lag behind early projections along with the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19, many experts are calling for a change in the approach to inoculations.

An infectious disease specialist at Boston University is among those arguing that extending time between the two doses of the vaccine or even halving the dose more people could be inoculated sooner without risking efficacy.

The Food and Drug Administration however insists data isn’t strong enough to change the current course and more focus should be placed on speeding up the distribution and administration process.


About the Authors:

Veteran journalist Kathleen Corso is the special projects producer for Local 10 News.

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.