AABB2025: COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in the Immunocompromised Patient

COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) has proved to be a crucial treatment for immunocompromised (IC) individuals when administered early. Program Chair Rita A. Reik, MD, FCAP, OneBlood, and speakers Anne F. Eder, MD, PhD, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Suchitra Pandey, MD, Stanford University/Stanford Blood Center; Marion C. Lanteri, PhD, Creative Testing Solutions; and Michael Joyner, MD, Mayo Clinic, provided an update on CCP during an interactive Monday session, “COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in the Immunocompromised Patient.”  

The speakers discussed the safety and effectiveness of CCP in IC patients, highlighting CCP’s continuing and critical role in optimizing treatment for those patients and describing the pathway for blood centers to manufacture FDA-approved CCP.  

Data suggest that CCP, rich in antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients, remains a vital resource despite reduced demand post-pandemic peak. One group of IC patients who benefit significantly from high-titer CCP as an early treatment are those with primary or secondary B-cell deficiencies with a high risk of severe COVID-19 due to a reduced ability to produce neutralizing antibodies. 

Joyner discussed “VaxPlasma,” which is CP from patients who have recovered from natural infection and subsequently vaccinated. It can have 10 to 100 times higher antibody titers than standard high-titer CP with a broad coverage of known COVID-19 variants. 

A manufacturing consideration is that demand for CCP is cyclical, tending to drop in spring with upticks in summer and winter. Licensed blood centers like OneBlood and Stanford Blood Center have streamlined FDA-approved processes to manufacture and supply CCP nationwide, ensuring availability during demand surges. Reik and Pandey found that getting FDA approval for CCP manufacturing was a smooth and well-defined process. Both of their facilities gained approval in exactly six months. 

The audience was urged to remain prepared for potential reinstatements in demand and to continue production efforts despite varying needs.