The Current Role for Biologic Medications in the Treatment of Pediatric COVID-19 and MIS-C

Severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) are characterized by hyperinflammation and multiorgan dysfunction. Although the incidence and mortality of these illnesses are low in the pe-diatric population, they occur with enough frequency to necessitate well-defined treat-ment strategies with demonstrated clinical efficacy. Biologic medications include small molecules or monoclonal antibodies that target specific receptors, enzymes or other proteins that play key roles in human disease. Biologic medications that inhibit proin-flammatory cytokines and signaling pathways represent an emerging and valuable tool for the treatment of both severe COVID-19 and MIS-C in pediatric patients. This article discusses current theories regarding the pathogenesis of both diseases, and it will sum-marize the latest evidence supporting each biologic medication used for their treatment.