Pemivibart, a monoclonal antibody medication authorized for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against COVID-19 in immunocompromised individuals, has been added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology as a PrEP option for patients with B-cell malignancies.
Many patients with B-cell lymphomas experience reduced vaccine efficacy and may not mount an adequate immune response to vaccination, putting them at elevated risk for COVID-19-related complications.
With this recommendation, NCCN joins the Infectious Disease Society of America, which updated its COVID-19 guidelines in August 2024 to recommend the use of pemivibart for PrEP in moderately to severely immunocompromised adults and adolescents at risk for progression to severe COVID-19 when predominant regional variants are susceptible to pemivibart.
Pemivibart is a half-life extended investigational monoclonal antibody administered through intravenous infusion. It targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain, thereby inhibiting virus attachment to the human ACE2 receptor on host cells and has demonstrated in vitro neutralizing activity against major SARS-CoV-2 variants, including JN.1, KP.3.1.1, XEC, and LP.8.1, according to the press release from Invivyd, Inc., the manufacturer of the therapy.
“Managing B-cell lymphoma is inherently challenging for patients, and the added risk of severe COVID-19 further complicates their care,” said George Yaghmour, MD, of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, in the press release. “[Pemivibart] helps protect vulnerable patients from COVID-19, allowing them to stay out of the hospital, continue their cancer care, and focus on their recovery.”
