Mayo Clinic awarded $26 million in federal funding for Covid-19 plasma program
Mayo Clinic’s national initiative to use convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19 patients got a boost from the federal government Monday, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) kicked in $26 million to assist Mayo in leading the Expanded Access Program.
The funding comes as Mayo reports encouraging enrollment numbers in the first month of the program’s existence. Over 5,000 patients have been infused with antibody-rich plasma in hospitals across the country, up from a reported 2,600 last week. An additional 5,000 patients are now enrolled in the program, potentially eligible to receive treatment of their own.
The Clinic says the funds will help cover the cost of collecting and distributing plasma, increase access for patients interested in participating in the study, and “support the scientific and regulatory infrastructure” required to keep the study functional. The funds specifically came from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a wing of the HHS designed to, among other things, support the development of treatments for infectious diseases.
“Federal support for research is essential. This additional funding will not only sustain the program, but amplify its effectiveness and enhance our ability to engage an even greater number of patients and providers to participate,” said Dr. Gregory Gores, executive dean of research at Mayo Clinic. “Mayo Clinic is grateful for the funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.”
More than 2,000 hospitals nationwide have participated in the study since its initial announcement on April 3. Mayo Clinic serves as the lead institution in the study and has coordinated a national registry for Covid-19 patients willing to take part.
The study involves collecting plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients, which contain antibodies designed to fight the disease, and transfusing it into patients currently fighting the disease. The hope is that the antibodies go to work again, potentially making Covid-19 less severe in those patients.
“Mayo Clinic mobilized quickly to advance convalescent plasma in a scientific way,” said Dr. Michael Joyner, a Mayo researcher leading the study. “We are pleased to work with our colleagues and the federal government to fight this pandemic every way we can as part of Mayo's patient-focused mission. The genuine collaboration of researchers across the nation is key to realizing the full potential of convalescent plasma treatment.”
Preliminary results of the plasma program have suggested no major safety risk to patients and anecdotal evidence of patients improving, but no firm conclusions on its use are expected for several months.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover photo licensed via Canva
