President Donald Trump has been given an experimental antibody drug called to be one of the most promising approaches to preventing serious illness from a COVID-19 infection.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., the company who made the drug, agreed to supply a single dose, given through an IV, for Trump at the request of his physician under “compassionate use” provisions.
The safety and effectiveness of the said drug, which is in its late-stage testing, are not yet known, but the treatment has shown preliminary effectiveness in reducing the viral load and symptoms of people infected by the coronavirus.
The experimental drug was given to Trump at the White House on Friday, before he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“Following PCR-confirmation of the President’s diagnosis, as a precautionary measure he received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail,” wrote the President’s physician Dr. Sean Conley on Twitter.
“In addition to the polyclonal antibodies, the president has been taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine [an antacid], melatonin and a daily aspirin.”
Conley also said that Trump was given the antiviral drug remdesivir, which was shown to help some COVID-19 patients recover faster.
Meanwhile, the President had not received hydroxychloroquine, a drug he widely promoted in the past and had been proven ineffective for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Trump wrote on Twitter “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!” after an unnamed presidential adviser claims that there is a “reason for concern” about his condition.
However, Conley wrote that the President “remains fatigued but in good spirits. He’s being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we’ll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps.”
The physician also assured that First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive for the virus, “remains well with only a mild cough and headache, and the remainder of the First Family are well and tested negative.”