Monoclonal Antibodies Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab May Be Less Effective for Treating Cases of COVID-19 Caused by Variants

Posted in COVID-19, Senior Living

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP 
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare

This morning (September 10, 2021), COCA issued this informational statement:

Genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been emerging and circulating around the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Viral mutations and variants in the United States are routinely monitored through sequence-based surveillance, laboratory studies, and epidemiological investigations.

Recent laboratory studies suggest that the monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab may be less effective for treating cases of COVID-19 caused by variants with certain substitutions or combinations of substitutions in the spike protein, including:

  • L452R
  • E484K
  • L452R and E484Q
  • K417N, E484K, and N501Y
  • K417T, E484K, and N501Y
  • K417N, L452R, and T478K
  • R346K, E484K, and N501Y

Vaccines authorized for use in the United States are effective against these variants and effective therapeutics are available. CDC continues to monitor all variants circulating within the United States.

To learn more about the updated variant classifications and definitions, please visit the SARS-CoV-2 Variant Classifications and Definitions webpage, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of Bamlanivimab and Etesvimab.