The Illinois Department of Public Health has begun distributing a new COVID-19 treatment designed for use in adults with mild-to-moderate cases that are at-risk of severe illness.
The new treatment, known as bebtelovimab, is a monoclonal antibody that received an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month.
The treatment joins sotrovimab among monoclonal antibodies now available for use in the state of Illinois. The state also has two oral antivirals and a preventative drug that it distributes, IDPH officials said.
“This newest COVID-19 treatment authorized by the FDA will continue to move us forward as we co-exist with COVID-19,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “While vaccination and boosting are still the best protection against severe illness, this new treatment can help keep people out of the hospital.”
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is distributing the drug to the states, and IDPH officials say they will continue to pursue “equitable distribution” of the treatment to high-need and vulnerable communities across the state.
According to officials, bebtelovimab is authorized for use in patients experiencing mild-to-moderate COVID symptoms that have underlying conditions that leave them at-risk for severe illness.
The treatment is administered as an injection, and residents are encouraged to ask their health care providers if they are eligible for the treatment if they are infected with COVID-19.
More information can be found on the IDPH’s website.
