Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Site Coming to Baton Rouge General Mid City

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is opening a monoclonal antibody infusion site this week at Baton Rouge General – Mid City. It will open Thursday, Sept. 23 and will operate seven days a week from 8am – 5:45pm, with the capacity to treat 200 patients a day.

The site is located in the parking lot at the corner of North Boulevard and Lovers Lane, across the street from the hospital’s Entrance 3.

A physician referral is required to receive the monoclonal antibody treatment. To be eligible, you must have tested positive for COVID-19, have had symptoms for 10 days or less, and one of the following:

• 65 years old or older
• Have a BMI of more than 25 kg/m2, or if age 12-17, have BMI above the 85th percentile for their age and gender based on CDC growth charts
• Currently Pregnant
• Have a medical condition, including:
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Cardiovascular disease (including congenital heart disease, hypertension)
  • Diabetes
  • Down syndrome
  • Dementia
  • Liver disease
  • Chronic lung disease
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
• Current or former smoker
• History of stroke or cerebrovascular disease
• Current or history of substance abuse
• Neurodevelopmental disorders or other conditions that confer medical complexity
• Have a medical-related technological dependence (e.g., tracheostomy, gastrostomy)

After entering the body, monoclonal antibodies look for and attach to the spike protein that sticks out of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Once attached to the spike protein, they can block the virus’s ability to enter cells — and slow down the infection. Treatments take between 30 to 50 minutes and require observation of up to an hour afterwards.

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization allowing monoclonal antibodies as a treatment option for COVID-19. The FDA authorized several different monoclonal antibodies, but the one being administered at BRG Mid City is REGEN-COV, which is a combination of the drugs casirivimab and imdevimab.

In early September, BRG opened an infusion center on its Bluebonnet campus, in the Center for Health, with the capacity for up to 80 infusions per day. Staffing there is being provided with help from LDH.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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