Based on prior experience with respiratory viruses & on data from China, convalescent plasma – the plasma from the blood of recovered #COVID19 patients – may potentially lessen severity or shorten the illness caused by #COVID19. fda.gov/news-events/pr…
FDA is facilitating access to convalescent plasma to treat #COVID19 using multiple pathways. Our initial effort focused on emergency investigational new drug applications (eINDs), & we provided info to help health care providers submit applications to treat individual patients.
FDA is also facilitating the conduct of well-controlled clinical trials at academic institutions across the U.S. to evaluate the safety & efficacy of convalescent plasma for use in #COVID19 patients.
For patients in need without access to institutions with clinical trials, together with partners, FDA developed & implemented a protocol to provide convalescent plasma to their health care providers while ensuring patient safety & allowing for data collection about efficacy.
In this partnership, @MayoClinic will be the lead institution, & with funding from @BARDA, @RedCross will help collect plasma & distribute it for use in #COVID19 patients throughout the U.S., hopefully delivering thousands of units to patients in need in the coming weeks.
We are also working with industry & government to accelerate the development & availability of hyperimmune globulin, an antibody product made from convalescent plasma, & are helping to coordinate a study of the product to be conducted by @NIAIDNews, as well as other efforts.
Anyone fully recovered from lab-confirmed #COVID19 for at least 2 weeks is encouraged to consider donating plasma, which could potentially help up to 4 people. If you’re willing to donate, please visit a blood donation center or the @RedCross website. redcrossblood.org/plasma4covid
