Remdesivir and SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID-19 progression in hematological patients: an...

Patients with hematological malignancies (HM) are at high risk of COVID-19 progression. Hence, early treatments to prevent progression are needed. The aim of our work was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of remdesivir (RDV) and SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in patients with HM and mild-to-moderate disease in real clinical practice.

We conducted a prospective study in a tertiary hospital in 55 HM patients with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 disease diagnosed between August 2021 and July 2022 and who received RDV or mAb to prevent COVID-19 progression (related death or hospitalization). The primary endpoint was COVID-19 progression on day 28. Other outcomes were COVID-19 progression beyond day 28 and viral load evolution.

RDV was administered to 44 (80.0%) patients and mAb to 11 (20.0%) patients. Death occurred in 1 (1.8%) patient and hospitalization in 9 (16.4%) patients by day 28, respectively; 3 patients (5.5%) required intensive care and 8 (14.5%), oxygen support. Of note, 5 additional patients [15, (27.3%) in total] died or required hospitalization after day 28. Two hazard Cox regression models yielded the absence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, age over 65 years, and ECOG-performance status ≥ 2 as the main risk factors for COVID-19-related death or hospitalization.

Our results from clinical practice suggest that RDV and SARS-CoV-2 mAb therapies elicit worse outcomes in hematological patients than those reported for high-risk population in clinical trials.