Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab as pre-exposure prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with hematological malignancies

Front Oncol. 2023 Jun 22:13:1212752. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1212752. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

The approved combination of Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab has been shown to decrease the rate of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients at increased risk of inadequate response to vaccination. However, Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab was tested in a few studies that included patients with hematological malignancies, even if this population has shown an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes following infection (with high rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and mortality) and poor significant immunization following vaccines. We performed a real-life prospective cohort study to evaluate the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection following pre-exposure prophylaxis with Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab in anti-spike seronegative patients compared to a cohort of seropositive patients who were observed or received a fourth vaccine dose. We recruited 103 patients with a mean age of 67 years: 35 (34%) received Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab and were followed from March 17, 2022, until November 15, 2022. After a median follow-up of 4.24 months, the 3-month cumulative incidence of infection was 20% versus 12% in the Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab and observation/vaccine groups respectively (HR 1.57; 95% CI: 0.65-3.56; p = 0.34). In this study, we report our experience with Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab and a tailored approach to SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention in patients with hematological malignancies during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron surge.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab; hematological malignances; monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).

Grants and funding

This work was supported by funds from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (A.I.R.C.) projects to LT (IG-25024) and “Ricerca per Credere nella Vita” RCV odv.