Safety of Monoclonal Antibodies in Children Affected by SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Lorenza Romani,Laura Cursi,Leonardo Vallesi,Stefania Bernardi,Martina Di Giuseppe,Sara Chiurchiù,Laura Lancella,Andrzej Krzysztofiak,Emanuele Nicastri,Paolo Rossi,Paolo Palma,Andrea Campana,Francesca Ippolita Calò Carducci,Maia De Luca,Tiziana Corsetti

doi:10.3390/children9030369

Abstract

Monoclonal antibody therapies for COVID-19 have been frequently used in adults, whereas there are little data regarding the safety or efficacy of monoclonal antibody treatments in pediatric patients affected by COVID-19. We report our experience in the administration of mAb as a treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection in children aged from 24 days to 18 years old.

Highlights

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) was first recognized in Wuhan in December 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world, causing a new disease identified as COVID-19 [1,2]; on 12 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic [3]
The COVID-19 disease course is generally mild in children, cases of severe infection have been described in a small proportion of patients; therapeutic options such as dexamethasone, antivirals, convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies have been reported [12,13]
Three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection and were approved between November 2020 and May 2021 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with emergency use authorization (EUA)

Summary

Introduction

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) was first recognized in Wuhan in December 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world, causing a new disease identified as COVID-19 [1,2]; on 12 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic [3]. Children have been less frequently and severely affected than adults, requiring hospitalization only in 5–10% of cases [5–8]. Children affected by SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, most commonly fever, a cough, pharyngitis, gastrointestinal symptoms and anosmia or hyposmia [5,9–11]. The COVID-19 disease course is generally mild in children, cases of severe infection have been described in a small proportion of patients; therapeutic options such as dexamethasone, antivirals (e.g., remdesivir), convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been reported [12,13]. Three mAbs have been developed for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection and were approved between November 2020 and May 2021 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with emergency use authorization (EUA)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion