Bamlanivimab plus etesevimab treatment have a better outcome against COVID-19: A meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Bamlanivimab is a widely used treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• The efficacy and safety of bamlanivimab require ongoing investigation, particularly in diverse patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness and safety of bamlanivimab in treating COVID-19 patients.
• To assess the impact of bamlanivimab monotherapy and its combination with etesevimab on clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of major scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, medRxiv) was performed.
• Included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies with control groups published between January 30, 2020, and August 5, 2021.
• A total of three RCTs and seven cohort studies, encompassing 14,461 patients, were included in the meta-analysis.

Main Results:

• Bamlanivimab treatment was associated with reduced hospitalization or emergency department visits (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.29-0.58).
• Significant reductions were observed in ICU admissions (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.92) and mortality (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13-0.77).
• The combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab demonstrated a greater potential for positive treatment outcomes compared to bamlanivimab monotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Bamlanivimab demonstrates clinical efficacy in preventing hospitalization and reducing severity and mortality in mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.
• Combination therapy with etesevimab offers significant risk reduction for COVID-related hospitalization or death.
• Further well-designed clinical trials are needed to identify specific patient characteristics that benefit most from these treatments.