ICER to review efficacy of COVID-19 treatments

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review plans to review the efficacy of several of the most commonly used COVID-19 treatments.

Aan independent review panel will deliberate and vote on a report presented during the group’s Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council in April, the organization announced Wednesday.

The interventions under evaluation include casirivimab and imdevimab, sold by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals under the brand name REGEN-COV. Use of this treatment, which received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration last November, has increased in states like Florida and Texas, where vaccination rates are low while new COVID-19 cases have been spiking.

The investigational monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab also will be under review. The GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology treatment, also called Sotrovimab, received EUA designation from the FDA in May to reduce disease progression in COVID-19 patients.

Molnupiravir, an experimental drug Merck is developing that has yet to gain FDA approval or an EUA designation, will be reviewed along with Pfizer’s oral antiviral therapy, PF-07321332 and the antidepressant medication fluvoxamine, also known as Luvox.

The ICER panel will determine how effective the treatments are based on how long it takes for symptoms to alleviate, how quickly patients are able to return to normal activities and the severity of their symptoms after receiving treatment.

Public comments will be accepted until Sept. 15 by email to [email protected]