Willis-Knighton Health System is expanding its clinical trials of monoclonal antibodies for outpatient treatment of people infected with COVID-19. Willis-Knighton is one of 120 sites nationwide and the only site in this region chosen for the Regeneron study.

Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment has been shown to significantly shorten the duration of symptoms by four days and reduce hospitalization or death by 70 percent in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

To qualify, pediatric and adult volunteers must have been diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection, tested positive for COVID-19 within the past three days, are currently not hospitalized or have not been previously hospitalized due to COVID-19, and have one or more risk factors for developing severe disease or becoming hospitalized. Pregnant women and children are included in this study.

The duration of the study is 29 days. Participants will receive a single dose of the study medication at the WK COVID Research Infusion Center and will be monitored at home and tested by healthcare professionals throughout the study.

There is no charge to the participant or insurance for visits, medication or monitoring. In addition, each patient will receive a stipend for the time and travel involved for his or her participation.

Treatment with monoclonal antibodies received Emergency Use Authorization for certain adults and children who are at risk for severe disease and hospitalization after studies showed a single treatment protected many patients from a worsening of COVID-19 infection. This study is designed to increase knowledge about whether monoclonal antibody will be effective in these other groups of patients.

“Willis-Knighton’s overwhelming support of clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the public to participate in studies that have led to approval of outpatient treatment with Regeneron, one of the two monoclonal antibody preparations approved for Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA,” says Joseph A. Bocchini, Jr., MD, infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton. “Our research department is proud to have contributed to this research and grateful for each patient who has volunteered for these ongoing studies. By participating, patients contributed to the development of treatment recommendations and many received the treatment that proved to be effective in reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 disease.”

To learn more about this study and eligibility requirements, call Carrie Kay at (318) 455-9730 or go to https://www.wkhs.com/clinical-trials/ and click on COVID.