Donald Trump gets 'single dose' of experimental Covid-19 antibody drug

It's still being studied and there are, as yet, no peer-reviewed scientific evaluations, but the company has sent a single dose to help the US president

President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he leaves the White House to go to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. AP Photo

President Donald Trump salutes as he boards Marine One as he leaves the White House. AP Photo

Members of the US Secret Service wear protective masks as Marine One, with U.S. President Donald Trump on board, departs the South Lawn of the White House. Bloomberg

President Donald Trump arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. AP Photo

US President Donald Trump waves from the presidential motorcade while arriving at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Bloomberg

President Donald Trump boards Marine One. AP Photo

The memorandum from White House physician Sean Conley to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany with information about President Donald Trump being moved to Walter reed National Military Medical Center and the decision to initiate Remdesivir therapy. AP Photo

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One. Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump makes an announcement after he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. Reuters

Marine One helicopter, with President Donald Trump aboard, lifts off from the South Lawn of the White House. AP Photo

President Donald Trump arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. AP Photo

Members of the media and general public watch as President Donald Trump arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. AP Photo

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Bloomberg

President Donald Trump has been given an experimental antibody drug described as one of the most promising approaches to preventing serious illness from a Covid-19 infection.

Its maker, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., said the company agreed to supply a single dose, given through an IV, for Mr Trump at the request of his physician under “compassionate use” provisions, when an experimental medicine is provided on a case-by-case emergency basis, while studies of it continue.

The new drug is in late-stage testing and its safety and effectiveness are not yet known.

No treatment has yet proved able to prevent serious illness after a coronavirus infection.

Mr Trump was given the experimental drug at the White House on Friday before he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, where he’ll be monitored, officials said. So far, Mr Trump has had only mild symptoms, including fatigue.

Several physicians who treat Covid-19, including Dr David Boulware at the University of Minnesota, had speculated that doctors might use the antibody-drug, given that this approach has worked against other diseases in the past.

“They’re not going to just sit around and watch to see if he gets sick,” Mr Boulware said.

How antibodies work

Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs; they attach to a virus and help the immune system eliminate it. Vaccines trick the body into thinking there’s an infection, so it makes these antibodies.

But it can take weeks for them to form after natural infection or a vaccine. The drugs aim to give that protection immediately, by supplying concentrated versions of one or two antibodies that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests.

Regeneron’s drug contains two antibodies to enhance chances that it will work. The company previously developed a successful Ebola treatment from an antibody combo.

What’s known so far

The drug is given as a one-time treatment through an IV. In multiple studies, Regeneron is testing it both for preventing infection and in people already infected, like Mr Trump, to try to prevent serious illness or death.

Earlier this week, Regeneron said partial results from about 275 Covid-19 patients who were not sick enough to need hospitalisation suggested it might be cutting how long symptoms last and helping reduce the amount of virus patients harbour.

However, the study has not been completed, the results were only announced in a company news release and have not been published or reviewed by other scientists.

Trump’s other treatments

Mr Trump’s physician, Dr Sean Conley, said late Friday that the president had also been given the antiviral drug Remdesivir at the military hospital. The Gilead Sciences drug has been shown to help some Covid-19 patients recover faster.

Earlier, Dr Conley said Mr Trump also was taking zinc, vitamin D, an antacid called famotidine, melatonin and aspirin. None of those have been proven to be effective against Covid-19.

Mr Trump apparently is not receiving hydroxychloroquine, a drug he widely promoted that has been shown in many studies to be ineffective for preventing or treating Covid-19.