Recent information from the FDA states that currently available monoclonal antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab, as well as casirivimab-indevimab (REGEN-COV) are likely ineffective against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. Sotrovimab is expected to retain activity against the Omicron variant, but is not available at St. Joseph’s Health at this time.
The next shipping date for Sotrovimab is January 3, 2022. If and when product is available at St. Joseph’s Health, that information will be disseminated.
The prevalence of the Omicron variant is geographically and hospital-specific. While CDC data shows that the Omicron variant is responsible for 90% of the COVID-19 cases in New York State, virus typing at Upstate found that number for Central New York as only 10% (as of last week).
In the absence of Sotrovimab and in light of the prevalence of the Omicron variant in Central New York, it is recommended that providers make a risk-benefit decision whether or not to use the bamlanivimab/etesevimab that is currently available at SJH to treat patients for whom monoclonal antibody therapy is appropriate. As Sotrovimab becomes available and as the prevailing strain of COVID-19 in Central New York changes, these recommendations will be updated.
Per information released by the New York State Department of Health, the recently authorized oral antiviral therapies Paxlovid and Molnupiravir will be shipped to four pharmacies in Onondaga County and will be available for ordering no earlier than Wednesday, December 29. The pharmacies currently designated to receive these medications are Kinney’s 43 in Baldwinsville, Kinney’s 79 in Liverpool, Kinney’s 108 in Syracuse and Kinney’s 64 in East Syracuse. Our recommendation is therapy should be prescribed via paper prescriptions until these products are more widely available.