Meta Analysis: Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibodies Vs Antiviral Therapy in Covid 19 Treatment

Author(s): Amber Ahmad, Jahnavi Bodi, Abdul Rahman Mohamed Elmohamed, Abdul Rahman Mahmoud Al Riahi, Saddam Hussain, Sajila latheef, Shahd Shehadeh Abdelrahman, Muhammad Salman Arif, Abdulla mohammed, Ahmad Wasim

This comprehensive meta-analysis includes data from 6 high-impact papers published in journals with Impact Factors ≥ 6.1 in order to compare the clinical efficacy of antiviral treatment and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in treating COVID-19 patients. Observational studies and randomized controlled trials are analyzed to determine clinical variables such as hospitalization rates, mortality reduction, viral clearance kinetics, and safety profiles. The study shows that whereas both interventions considerably slow the course of the disease, small molecule antivirals in particular, nirmatrelvir-ritonavir proved to be most effective against all SARS-CoV-2 strains and give more reliable mortality benefits (30% decrease vs. 22% for mAbs). When given within three days of the onset of symptoms, monoclonal antibodies exhibit improved early-stage efficacy (reducing hospitalization by 70%) and continue to provide significant benefits in immunocompromised groups. However, with significant reductions in neutralization capacity against Omicron subvariant, variant susceptibility becomes a key factor in determining the efficacy of mAb. The study finds the best use case for each class of medicine in covid 19, superiority of one intervention on another and points out important gaps in the available data.