A Descriptive, Retrospective Analysis of COVID-19 Passive Antibody Therapy and Its Effects on Morbidity and Mortality in Patients Receiving B-Cell-Depleting Therapies

Patients receiving B-cell-depleting therapies (BCDT) are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19. Passive antibody therapy (PAT), including COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) and monoclonal antibodies (mAb), may be an effective treatment in this population. Real-world data on PAT effectiveness are limited. To evaluate response to PAT measured through 90-day all-cause morbidity and mortality, we performed a retrospective review of patients who contracted COVID-19 within a year from the last BCDT. From 64 included patients, the majority were Caucasians (95%), female (56%), vaccinated (67%), treated outpatients (64%), with multiple comorbidities. Examined BCDT were rituximab (55%), obinutuzumab (33%), ocrelizumab (11%) and ofatumumab (1%), used for underlying hematological malignancy (HEM) (40%), multiple sclerosis (34%), and rheumatoid arthritis (16%). Of seven deceased patients, three died from COVID-19. All three were elderly males with multiple comorbidities, treated inpatient for severe COVID-19. Four of 41 patients treated as outpatients were hospitalized for non-COVID-19-related reasons. All deceased and hospitalized patients had an underlying HEM. All but one were on rituximab. PAT may be an effective treatment for patients receiving BCDT, especially if given early for non-severe disease. Patients with underlying HEM may be at increased risk for severe disease compared with others receiving the same BCDT.