Convalescent plasma, made from blood donated by people who’ve recovered from COVID-19, has been studied as a treatment to help those already infected with COVID-19 recover, but now scientists are looking to see if injecting someone with it before they become infected can prevent infection.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins said they hope to enroll up to 500 patients. They have sites in Baltimore, Houston, Alabama and Southern California and are planning to open sites in Dallas and Arizona.
Drugmakers are also looking to manufacture the antibodies found in convalescent plasma instead of having to rely on collecting blood from recovered COVID-19 patients, NPR reported.
“What I like about the convalescent plasma idea is that if it worked, I see it as something that could really be scalable in resource-limited settings,” Jessica Justman, MD, an associate professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, told NPR.
Researchers are hoping to know by mid-September whether convalescent plasma is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection.
Read the full article here.
More articles on pharmacy:
Pfizer CEO calls drug pricing executive orders ‘radical,’ an ‘enormous distraction’
10 best-selling drugs in the world by 2026
Walgreens says 180 stores affected by potential patient data breach
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.