Trump Gets Regeneron’s Experimental Antibody Cocktail after Testing Positive for COVID-19
On Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted he and First Lady Melania Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 after Hope Hicks, his top adviser, came down with the virus.
The White House said yesterday that President Trump stays "fatigued" after contracting the virus and has been given an experimental antibody cocktail through injection for the virus that, as of this writing, has killed over 200,000 Americans and spread through the highest reaches of the US Administration.
US President Trump walks to the Marine One helicopter wearing a protective face mask as he departs the White House to fly to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where it was announced he would work for at least several days after testing positive for COVID-19, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US.
Also, on Friday, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, President Trump's physician revealed, the commander-in-chief was given a dose of the said experimental therapeutics developed by Regeneron that is currently in clinical tests.
In a statement, Dr. Conley said Trump "completed infusion without incident." He added that the president remains fatigued although he is "in good spirits" and that a team of experts examined both the nation leader and the first lady for the next steps.
Aside from the experimental antibody cocktail injection, Trump's physician said he is also taking Vitamin D, zinc, and other medications.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
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The REGN-COV2 Antibody Cocktail
Conley reported, the 50-year-old first lady has mild cough and headache, and the rest of the family, including Trump's son Barron who also lives at the White House, tested negative for COVID-19.
In a statement Regeneron released late Friday, it confirmed that the president was given the REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail as part of a 'compassionate use request', which is when there is permission from the Food and Drug Administration for unapproved treatments to be made available to treat ill patients when there are no other available treatments.
Regeneron's compassionate use program is designed for patients who have severe or life-threatening conditions without viable treatment options and cannot take part in ongoing clinical tests.
President Trump is being given a two-antibody combo drug that's presently in late-stage trials from Regeneration Pharmaceuticals Inc. The same company formerly developed a successful treatment for Ebola that uses a similar strategy. The combo drug is administered as a one-time treatment via an IV.
According to Conley, the REGN-COV2 Antibody Cocktail was provided as a precautionary measure. Aside from that, zinc, and Vitamin D, the president is also taking an antacid known as famotidine, melatonin, and aspirin. None of those, as mentioned earlier, have been proven to be effective treatments for COVID-19.
Apparently, Trump has not been receiving hydroxychloroquine—a drug extensively promoted that has been presented in several studies to be ineffective for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
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Encouraging Preliminary Data
The preliminary data from a trial that uses the COVID-19 antibody cocktail of Regeneron is reportedly encouraging. Results showed that the treatment relieved symptoms faster than the placebo for patients severely ill to be confined at the hospital.
The first phase involved more than 270 patients in the study. The company said the most substantial improvements were observed in those who had not already mounted a natural reaction.
According to Jeanne Marrazzo, the division of infectious diseases director at Birmingham-based University of Alabama, the study seems "very promising."
The company says that the antibody cocktail is designed as a therapeutic alternative to a natural reaction to the virus.
Regeneron also says it hopes to confirm their initial results in the second batch of patients in a news release.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Hydroxychloroquine, With or Without Azithromycin, Not Contributing to COVID-19 Treatment, Study Finds
Check out more news and information on the COVID-19 on MD News Daily.
Oct 02, 2020 10:05 PM EDT
