Demand is soaring for an “antibody cocktail” that can greatly diminish the severity of coronavirus cases, Michigan Radio reported.
The antibody cocktail created by Regeneron is the same former President Donald Trump received after he contracted the virus and is intended to be administered only after a patient has contracted the disease.
According to Dr. Ben Carson, the treatment dramatically assisted in his recovery from the coronavirus.
“President Trump was following my condition and cleared me for the monoclonal antibody therapy that he had previously received, which I am convinced saved my life,” he detailed of the treatment that has received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Furthermore, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he would use the treatment. He tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated.
According to Michigan Radio, usage of the treatment has quickly grown in the last few weeks.
University of Michigan Health called it an “effective treatment” against a case of the coronavirus:
Monoclonal antibodies are produced in a laboratory and serve to enhance or mimic the immune system’s response to disease. Monoclonal antibodies are already used to treat other diseases, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease.
Monoclonal antibodies, like the ones produced by the pharmaceutical companies Regeneron and Lilly, are drugs that have shown promise when given to patients early in the course of their disease. This treatment is available in very limited supply for emergency use in people at high risk for severe COVID-19 or hospitalization.
Henry Ford Health System announced in April it had the treatment available for Michiganders, WDIV reported, but was limiting availability to those who had been exposed to the virus or had a positive test, and also had one of the following conditions:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Immunosuppressive Illness
- Over Age 65
Those between 55-65 years old with high blood pressure, heart or chronic lung disease are also eligible, as are children 12-17 years old “who have other very specific medical conditions.”
Additionally, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) supported the treatment as a way to ease the burden on hospitals.
“These antibody treatments could keep you out of the hospital and save your life, and my administration and I will continue working with the federal government to make sure we are using all the tools in our toolbox to keep you and your family safe and get back to normal sooner,” she said in April, according to ABC 12.
As confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise across the United States, many states are moving to establish local clinics to administer the treatment to those in need.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
