CVS Health to Administer COVID-19 Antibody Therapy in Pilot Program

CVS Health will pilot the administration of a limited supply of the monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab with eligible patients at-with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at risk of severe infection or complications resulting from the virus.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) selected CVS Health as part of Operation Warp Speed, CVS Health said in a news release.¹

Coram, the specialty pharmacy and infusion care business of CVS Health, will administer the intravenous therapy in patients’ homes or long-term care facilities. Coram has more than 800 certified and highly trained nurses across the country, according to CVS Health.

“These newly available, important COVID-19 treatments can make a difference for patients at high risk for severe illness or complications, but they need to be administered intravenously by health care providers and with the appropriate clinical expertise and oversight,” said Sree Chaguturu, MD, chief medical officer for CVS Caremark and senior vice president at CVS Health. “Our Coram model allows us to meet patients where they are during the pandemic by delivering safe, clinically appropriate home-based care, and we stand ready to deploy our teams when and where the need is greatest as supply of these new monoclonal antibody treatments ramp up over the coming year.”

Coram will begin administering 1000 doses of monoclonal antibody therapies in 7 cities and their surrounding communities starting on December 3. The cities include: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Tampa, “as new COVID-19 infections continue to rise rapidly in these regions,” CVS Health said.

“Following the pilot, and as drug supply increases, Coram will scale this solution to additional markets in areas of greatest need,” the company added.

To be eligible for bamlanivimab through Coram, and in accordance with the FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA), patients must not be hospitalized, be within 10 days of symptom onset, at least 12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kilograms (or 88.2 pounds), and at high risk for progressing to severe disease and/or hospitalization.

Notably, there are no out-of-pocket costs to eligible patients, CVS Health said.

Patients can be referred to Coram for treatment from a hospital, urgent care or telemedicine appointment, long-term care facility, or their primary care physician following a positive diagnosis.

Reference

1. CVS Health selected by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, as part of a pilot, to administer recently authorized COVID-19 therapy to eligible patients in long-term care facilities and at home. News release. CVS Health; December 2, 2020. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://www.cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-health-us-dhs-pilot-covid-19-therapy