The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on patients and healthcare providers alike, but for patients with inflammatory diseases treated with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), it poses an additional challenge. Baysient’s Chief Scientific Officer, Diane Mould, PhD, FCP, FAAPS, recently reported a significant increase in drug clearance during an active COVID-19 infection for patients treated with mAbs such as Infliximab. This revelation highlights the importance of implementing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice to maintain treatment efficacy.
Increased Drug Clearance with COVID-19 Infection
Dr. Mould found that patients with active COVID-19 infection, regardless of their symptom severity, show a 50% to 77% increase in mAb clearance. This translates to a significantly shorter half-life, leading to subtherapeutic mAb levels and potential treatment failure.
The increased drug clearance poses an additional risk, as low exposure to mAbs could result in the formation of anti-drug antibodies, further reducing the drug’s effectiveness and compromising patient safety and their response.
The Importance of TDM and Clinical Decision Support
To address this challenge, Baysient recommends incorporating TDM into clinical practice, so physicians can quickly adjust the dosage for patients who test positive for COVID-19. Furthermore, physicians should encourage patients to get tested for COVID-19 if exposed, as maintaining therapeutic drug levels is crucial for treatment success.
Baysient offers a clinically proven web-based app, Time to Target (T3®), which helps physicians determine the biological half-life of a drug and appropriate dosage and interval for maintaining steady-state drug concentrations. T3 can also be used to adjust dosages once the COVID-19 infection has resolved and mAb clearance is returning to its pre-infection state.
TDM solutions like T3 play a vital role in ensuring the long-term efficacy of treatments for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. T3 is currently compatible with IV infliximab, SC infliximab, adalimumab, and vedolizumab.
Adapting to the COVID-19 Impact with Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
COVID-19 has revealed the potential impact of infections on drug clearance and the importance of TDM in maintaining therapeutic drug levels for patients with inflammatory diseases. Baysient’s T3 offers an effective solution for physicians to closely monitor and adjust drug dosages, ensuring improved treatment outcomes.
For more information on TDM decision support tools, visit https://www.baysient.net/t3/ or contact info@baysient.com.
