COVID-19 Therapeutics for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients; 6 Months Into the Pandemic: Where Are We Now?

Transplantation. 2021 Jan 1;105(1):56-60. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003519.

Abstract

As in the general population with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection, therapeutic interventions in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients have evolved over time. The preceding 6 months of the pandemic can be divided into 2 main therapeutic eras: the early era and the later era. The first era was characterized by the widespread use of drugs such as hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin, lopinavir-ritonavir, and tocilizumab. More recently, with the publication of larger trials, there has been increasing use of remdesivir, dexamethasone, and convalescent plasma, with the rapid proliferation of clinical trials including a wide variety of investigational and repurposed agents with antiviral or immunomodulatory effects. This overview focuses on what is known about the effects of different therapies in SOT recipients with COVID-19, mainly from case series and, more recently, larger multicenter registries; as well as outlining the information that will be needed to optimize management and outcomes in SOT recipients with COVID-19 in the future.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / immunology
  • COVID-19 / therapy*
  • COVID-19 Serotherapy
  • Humans
  • Hydroxychloroquine / therapeutic use
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Organ Transplantation*
  • SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • tocilizumab