Recent advances in passive immunotherapies for COVID-19: The Evidence-Based approaches and clinical trials

In late 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged, causing a global pandemic called COVID-19. Currently, there is no definitive treatment for this emerging disease. Global efforts resulted in developing multiple platforms of COVID-19 vaccines, but their efficacy in humans should be wholly investigated in the long-term clinical and epidemiological follow-ups. Despite the international efforts, COVID-19 vaccination accompanies challenges, including financial and political obstacles, serious adverse effects (AEs), the impossibility of using vaccines in certain groups of people in the community, and viral evasion due to emerging novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 in many countries. For these reasons, passive immunotherapy has been considered a complementary remedy and a promising way to manage COVID-19. These approaches are based on reduced inflammation due to inhibiting cytokine storm phenomena, immunomodulation, preventing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), viral neutralization, and decreased viral load. This article highlights passive immunotherapy and immunomodulation approaches in managing and treating COVID-19 patients and discusses relevant clinical trials (CTs).

Automated summary

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the urgent need for effective treatments. While various vaccines have been developed, their long-term efficacy in humans remains to be fully investigated. COVID-19 vaccination efforts face challenges such as financial and political obstacles, serious adverse effects, limitations in certain populations, and the emergence of viral variants. Passive immunotherapy is considered a promising complementary approach to managing COVID-19 by reducing inflammation, modulating the immune response, and neutralizing the virus.