What Lymphoma Patients Need to Know About Current Treatments for COVID-19

Updated: 7/13/2022

As of mid-2022, there are a number of treatments for COVID-19 that have been either approved by the FDA or have been authorized for emergency use (EUA). If you contract COVID-19, please discuss with your doctor which of the following treatments may be the best for you:

The FDA has approved the antiviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (28 days of age and older and weighing at least 3 kilograms) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, who are: hospitalized, or not hospitalized and have mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

The FDA has also approved the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor Olumiant (baricitinib) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Treatments with an EUA include:

• Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) — an antiviral medication that is taken by mouth (as a pill) to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. It must be given within 5 days after the first symptoms of COVID-19 appear. Paxlovid is for adults and children who are 12 years of age and older, weighing at least 88 pounds. It may be prescribed by state-licensed pharmacists to eligible patients, with certain limitations.
• Lagevrio (molnupiravir) — an antiviral medication that is taken by mouth (as a pill) to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. It must be given within 5 days after the first symptoms of COVID-19 appear. Lagevrio is for adults 18 years and older. Lagevrio is not recommended during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
• Actemra (tolcilizumab) — a monoclonal antibody treatment for adults and children (2 years of age and older) who are receiving corticosteroids and who require supplemental oxygen, a ventilator, or ECMO. Actemra may decrease the risk of death for people in the hospital with COVID-19.
• Bebtelovimab — a monoclonal antibody for adults and children 12 years or older (weighing at least 88 pounds) who have tested positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate symptoms, are not in the hospital, and are at high risk for serious COVID-19. Bebtelovimab must be given within 7 days after the first symptoms of COVID-19 appear. This treatment can be used when other COVID-19 treatment options approved or authorized by the FDA are unavailable or not clinically appropriate.

A variety of other treatments are being investigated in clinical trials to treat COVID-19. Please note that some treatments may not be effective for certain COVID-19 variants and subvariants, so be sure to confirm with your healthcare provider which ones may be appropriate for you if needed.