Editor’s note: As of 11/30/22, monoclonal antibodies are no longer used to treat COVID-19. While the treatment has been effective in the past, it no longer works against the newer COVID-19 variants. The COVID-19 pills, Paxlovid, are still very effective and are readily available at many retail pharmacies.
What’s the difference between monoclonal antibodies and the new COVID pill Mulnopiravir? Joe Gastaldo, MD, System Medical for Infectious Diseases at OhioHealth explains here.
We now have two medications available for outpatient treatment of COVID-19. The first one is monoclonal antibodies, which we are all familiar with. Monoclonal antibodies can be a laborious process. They take many hours for people to get, and patients have to travel to receive them.
Another thing we now have available is Mulnopiravir, which is ultimately a Tamiflu for COVID-19. Therapeutically, they work the same. In other words, we give them to at risk people to keep them out of the hospital. However, they are not a one-to-one substitution. Mulnupiravir does not have authorization for pregnant women. In that scenario, monoclonal antibodies would be more appropriate.
In addition, in the next several weeks, we are likely to have the availability of another pill, Paxlovid, made by Pfizer. Paxlovid also has important clinical considerations, including a significant amount of drug interactions.
Want to learn more about common COVID-19 questions? Check our Fast Facts page.
