Health City Cayman Islands – a private health facility recently announced that it has acquired a supply of Ronapreve, a monoclonal antibody treatment that can help COVID-19 patients recover faster and avoid hospitalization, and death.
This makes Health City the first private facility in the Caribbean to offer the ground-breaking treatment.
Ronapreve has been jointly developed by Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Roche and American biotech firm, Regeneron. It is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, and was designed to block infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Although vaccines provide the best protection from COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended this treatment for infected people who either have underlying health conditions or are suffering from severe symptoms.
It has also been found to reduce the risk of hospitalization in certain patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms and reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infections in people exposed to the virus.
“We are pleased to once again be at the forefront of the COVID-19 battle in the Cayman Islands,” said Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Clinical Director at Health City Cayman Islands.
“Just as we assisted with ensuring an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, providing PCR and being the first private facility to offer lateral flow tests to the public, it was important for us to step up and provide this treatment, which research shows reduces death for patients by around 70 percent compared to those who don’t take it.”
Adults considered at high risk for severe COVID-19 and high-risk youth aged 12-17 who weigh at least 88 pounds may be eligible for treatment. High-Risk factors can include older age, obesity, pregnancy, chronic kidney disease, heart disease including high blood pressure, lung disease, Sickle Cell Disease, and cerebral palsy or other development conditions. The treatment is administered via infusion that takes anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes to complete.
Individuals who have had COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days or less should talk to their health care provider immediately to see if monoclonal antibody treatment is right for them.
“It is our hope that no one in our community will need this treatment, at Health City, we are always prepared and willing to do our part to keep our population safe. This treatment has been approved for use in approximately 50 countries and we wanted to ensure that the Cayman Islands was not left behind,” said Shomari Scott, Chief Business Officer at Health City Cayman Islands.
CMC
