Monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19 infection in children

Abstract

Introduction: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been authorized for the treatment of COVID-19 in pediatric populations, however, there is a lack of evidence for their use in these populations.

Areas covered: We outline the evidence of mAbs for COVID-19, discuss their use in the treatment of COVID-19 infection for pediatric patients, and consider alternative treatment options and challenges to COVID-19 drug approvals.

Expert opinion: Limited evidence exists for the safety and efficacy of mAbs to treat COVID-19 in children as new variants emerge. In rare pediatric outpatient settings, such as profound immunodeficiency or severe pulmonary disease, the benefits of antiviral treatment for COVID-19 likely outweigh the relatively small risks. However, for the great majority of pediatric patients, mAb treatment is likely not indicated. Small molecule antiviral therapies are another potential treatment for COVID-19 in children in an outpatient setting, though neither mAb nor small molecule antiviral treatments have significant supporting evidence in children and developing a strong evidence base for these decisions will be challenging if not impractical. Ultimately, these decisions are likely to be made at the level of individual cases using expert opinion as the primary guiding principle.

Keywords: Antiviral; COVID-19; SARS-COV-2; bebtelovimab; children; mAbs; monoclonal antibodies; pediatric patients; pediatric treatment.