New Delhi, May 26: Mohabbat Singh, an 84-year-old man from Haryana, has become the first COVID-19 patient in India to receive famous antibody cocktail jab of Casirivimab and Imdevimab. This is the same coktail jab that was given to former US President Donald Trump when he had contracted coronavirus. Mohabbat Singh, who is being treated for COVID-19 at Medanta in Gurugram, was given the Casirivimab-Imdevimab injection on Tuesday. Can Pets Like Dogs and Cats Spread COVID-19 to People? Here’s What Experts Say on Transmission of Coronavirus From Animals to Humans.

The Casirivimab-Imdevimab injection is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies and was designed specifically to block infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Speaking to TOI, Medanta Director Dr Naresh Tehran underlined: "Studies show that 80% of patients who took this drug didn’t need hospitalisation, and it also reduced death rate in addition to shortening the duration of symptoms."

The antibody cocktail drug is developed by Roche and will be marketed by Cipla pan-India. According to Dr Sushila Kataria, Director of Internal Medicine, Medanta, the cocktail jab can only be administered to patients above 65 with comorbidities and immunocompromised and those above 55 with cardiac problems can be given this drug.

Mohabbat Singh From Haryana Becomes First Person in India To Get COVID-19 Antibody Cocktail:

Earlier this month, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had provided an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the antibody cocktail in India. The US Food and Drug Administration had approved the drug in November last year. It has also received a EUA in several European countries.

A combined dose of 1200 mg - 600 mg of Casirivimab and 600 mg of Imdevimab) will cost Rs 59,750 in India, according to the company. The maximum retail price for the multi-dose pack (each pack can treat two patients) is fixed at Rs 1,19,500.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2021 02:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).