KPMG to support federal COVID-19 therapeutic access program

NEW YORK, March 17, 2020 – KPMG LLP announced that it has entered into an agreement with the federal government to help accelerate access to monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments for COVID-19 patients who are at high risk for hospitalization or death from the coronavirus, with a focus on ensuring more equitable access to treatment. This program will leverage innovative approaches to develop different prototypes for expanding mAb infusion capacity in underserved communities across the country.

“KPMG is honored to support this important effort to increase access to monoclonal antibody therapies for COVID-19 patients,” said KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO Paul Knopp. “This effort potentially will have lifesaving benefits for vulnerable patients in the communities we serve at a crucial time in this global pandemic.”

Under the terms of the agreement, KPMG will focus on helping to increase access to treatments – particularly among underserved populations – by working with local healthcare providers to support the expansion of infusion center capacity in traditional and non-traditional healthcare settings, and by collaborating with community partners to expand access to authorized monoclonal antibody therapies for high-risk patients. KPMG will support efforts to focus on the unique needs of government-selected geographies and develop an approach to expand access to mAbs in each of the targeted, underserved communities.

"The expansion of access to monoclonal antibody therapies has tremendous potential to contribute to the prevention of hospitalizations and deaths, especially for high-risk and underserved populations; we are proud to serve the government’s efforts to help reduce health disparities in critical treatments for COVID-19 and improve health equity,” said S. Lawrence Kocot, program executive for this initiative and national leader of KPMG’s Center for Healthcare Regulatory Insight.

The federal government purchased the mAbs to be distributed through the program, which aims to expand the use of infused COVID-19 treatments in outpatient or other settings. The mAbs must be infused to patients within 10 days of the onset of symptoms and are only authorized for use in those considered high risk, as permitted under the emergency use authorization (EUA) approved by the FDA. KPMG will leverage its deep experience in strategic planning, project management, and data & analytics to help the federal government increase access to healthcare for vulnerable populations.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected underserved communities and ethnic minorities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The government notes that long-standing inequities in social determinants of health that affect these groups, such as poverty and healthcare access, are interrelated and influence a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes.

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