US President Donald Trump tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on Friday and is being treated in a military hospital.
On 2 October, the White House announced President Donald Trump received an experimental antibody treatment after a test revealed he’s infected with SARS-CoV-2. He reportedly had mild COVID-19 symptoms, including fever and congestion.
According to his doctor, he has been
given an 8 gram, intravenous dose of an experimental drug
called REGN-COV2.
Trump received an 8-gram infusion of the treatment. Regeneron’s data showed a 2.4-gram infusion worked as well as the higher dose at reducing SARS-CoV-2 levels in people. This was widely seen as good news because monoclonals are difficult and expensive to produce, and a lower dose means more people can ultimately receive it.
What is the antibody cocktail Trump received?
The drug is one of several experimental COVID-19 drugs known as
monoclonal antibodies, which are synthetic copies of human antibodies
formed by patients in the early stages of the illness.
Regeneron's drug contains an antibody made by the company, as
well as antibodies from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. The two
antibodies bind to the coronavirus' spike protein, limiting the ability of the
virus to escape.
It has this 'cocktail' of two antibodies so that it has a better
chance of working in case the virus mutates.
- Regeneron has reported early success
in human trials. It is administered through an IV as a one-time treatment.
The US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has not approved the drug for mass usage yet, but it has authorized its
emergency use before the formal review is completed.
- The US government in June awarded Regeneron a $450 million (€383 million) supply contract for up to 300,000 doses for the antibody treatment.
Last year, a triple antibody treatment plan developed by
Regeneron was shown to be effective against the Ebola virus.
- Apart from REGN-COV-2, Trump is also taking zinc, vitamin D, melatonin, aspirin and a heartburn drug.