Convalescent plasma, the pale yellow liquid left over after blood is stripped of its red and white cells, teems with disease-fighting molecules called antibodies. And the plasma therapy, which was screened to ensure it contained high levels of antibodies, was always given within three days of when the patients started to feel symptoms. Treatment guidelines published by the National Institutes of Health do not recommend for or against use of convalescent plasma, because of a paucity of data. Because monoclonal antibodies are synthetic and laborious to make, they carry a hefty price tag, sometimes costing thousands of dollars (although the US government has paid for some doses upfront). Rather than viewing monoclonal antibodies as an upgrade to convalescent plasma, “they each have a different place in the armamentarium,” Pirofski said.

Source: bd News24 January 07, 2021 06:00 UTC