HOUSTON — The drug bamlanivimab is making headlines after getting emergency use authorization from U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for some COVID-19 patients.
It’s designed for coronavirus patients who are not in the hospital. It’s for adults and adolescents who are 12 year old and older and are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. The patient must weigh at least 88 pounds and who are considered high-risk for experiencing more severe symptoms or hospitalization.
It’s an investigative drug because it’s still being studied and there’s only limited information on it’s effectiveness.
Texas is receiving the second-highest number of shipments of the drug, behind Illinois, according to DSHS.
Here are more details about its emergency authorization use.
We’ve noticed some people are struggling with the pronunciation of bamlanivimab. Sounding it out, it’s bam luh NI vi mab.