The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 07-26-2020 | Page 4

4 | SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 | THE RECORD
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER
Advanced Treatments
For COVID-19
Teaneck Father of Three Successfully
Battles Virus After 7 Weeks in Hospital
During the past six months, doctors
and researchers have been dealing
with the mysterious COVID-19
virus by trying a number of medications
to treat the respiratory disease. Their
resourcefulness has led to some progress,
and based on the outcome of some
patients, there is hope.
Holy Name Medical Center, at the epicenter
of the pandemic when it first hit the
U.S., continues to be at the forefront of trying
these new advanced treatments against
COVID-19. Physicians consistently review
ongoing clinical trials being conducted
at the hospital as well as nationwide, to find
treatments that can help stem the spread
of the virus once it attacks the body.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER
Given healthy birth placenta cells to help him fight COVID-19,
patient Ed Pierce is transported through Holy Name Medical
Center, the first hospital in the U.S. to administer this treatment.
“Holy Name took a leading role in
addressing the severe challenges of
COVID-19,” said Dr. Adam Jarrett, executive
vice president for Medical Affairs, CMO
of Holy Name. “We used all available therapies
and thankfully, some of our patients
are here because of that approach.”
One such patient, Edward Pierce, was
the first person in the U.S. to have healthy
birth placenta cells, called Pluristem therapy,
implanted to help him battle COVID-19.
Pierce, 49, is a husband, father of three,
and a Tony-nominated set designer for
Broadway. He worked on Wicked, Angels in
America – the show for which he was nominated
– To Kill a Mockingbird, Billy Elliot,
Ragtime and a host of other productions.
Pierce had been hospitalized in March
and April for nearly seven weeks. For five
of those, he was on a ventilator and still
declining. Despite all the efforts to help
him, the disease was ravaging his body.
He was unconscious and suffering with a
myriad of adverse conditions, including problems
with his kidneys.
He had been given a number of medications,
none of which was helping. It was
then that the doctors
at Holy Name realized
that because of Pierce’s
condition, he fit the criteria
for what the FDA
approved as compassionate
use of healthy
birth placenta cells.
Pierce’s wife,
Michelle, had been
on an emotional roller
coaster, riding high
when a new medication
was introduced, only to
plummet when doctors
reported Pierce wasn’t
improving. By the time
Pierce received the
placenta cells, she kept
her hopes in check.
“The doctors didn’t
build my hopes up but
they were somewhat
optimistic,” Michelle
said. “Of course, I
googled it immediately and saw at that point,
it had a 100-percent success rate. I felt really
lucky that they choose Ed for this treatment.
Until then, Ed would have three days of progress
before he’d have another setback. By
day four, I started to feel like it was working.”
Indeed, it seemed to be. Pierce’s lungs
started to clear and his kidneys, while not
working properly, were also improving. A
week later, he was making steady but slow
Ed Pierce, surrounded by his wife Michelle and their children, survived his near fatal struggle
with COVID-19 after being the first patient in the U.S. to receive Pluristem therapy.
progress and doctors were able to remove
the ventilator. He began eating again and
within four days of leaving the hospital’s
ICU, Pierce was discharged from Holy Name.
“I’m so thankful I was chosen to be
the first recipient of this therapy,” Pierce
said. “I really believe it saved my life.”
As of today, eight patients
given this therapy — called
Pluristem — in the U.S. and
Israel have an 87.5-percent
survival rate, and 62 percent
have been discharged from
the hospital.
Pluristem is just one of
the treatments given at Holy
Name to patients fighting
COVID-19. Several other therapies
include an anti-spike antibody,
steroids and remdesivir.
The Medical Center was
the first hospital in the world
to use a new anti-spike antibody
created by Regeneron.
The coronavirus is shaped
like a crown with spikes on it,
which led to its name. These
spikes are made of proteins
that attach to the body. This
antibody treatment seems
to prevent these spikes from
attaching.
“The results we’ve seen from this are very
good,” said Dr. Thomas Birch, the director of
Clinical Research at Holy Name. “We want to
be prepared in case we see a resurgence.”
Steroids are also used for some
patients to reduce inflammation from
COVID-19. But they must be given the medication
at precisely the right time.
“There is a narrow window when you
can use it,” said Dr. Suraj Saggar, chief of
HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER
infectious disease at Holy Name. “Giving
the drug too early might interfere with the
body’s natural reaction to fight the virus.
Wait too long, and patients risk becoming
so ill they need to be put on a ventilator.”
A number of patients also received remdesivir,
an antiviral medication. Once again,
Dr. Ravit Barkama, associate vice president for clinical
development, on the left, and Nancy Canning, a nurse with
interventional radiology, discuss treating Ed Pierce with
healthy birth placenta cells during his fight with COVID-19.
Holy Name was among the first hospitals
to use this medication, which has gained
more widespread use for COVID-19 patients.
“If not for the doctors, nurses and everyone
involved in my care, this definitely
could have had a different ending.” Pierce
said. “If they didn’t push so hard to get
approval for the use of the placenta cells,
I wouldn’t be here. Grateful doesn’t begin
to say how I feel.”