TAMPA- Governor DeSantis held a press conference yesterday as he pledged Thursday to “fight like hell” to continue receiving the shipments of Regeneron as the federal government this week took control over distribution of the drugs, claiming states likes Florida have taken a bulk of the treatments available.
In April 2021, The State of Michigan’s website had the following to say about monoclonal antibodies in a press release:
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are laboratory-produced molecules that can restore, enhance or mimic the immune system’s attack on cells. mAb targets different parts of the virus and prevents it from bonding with cells in the body, effectively neutralizing it. Clinical trials have shown promising data that this therapy works for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk for progressing to severe symptoms and/or hospitalization, including older Michiganders. To date, preliminary data suggests more than 6,600 Michiganders have received this treatment with 65% reporting feeling better with two days of treatment and less than 5% of them requiring hospitalization following treatment.
“When administered to non-hospitalized patients within 10 days of symptom onset, monoclonal antibodies may reduce symptoms and the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits associated with the virus,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Michiganders who contract COVID-19 should ask their health care providers about receiving this treatment and I urge providers to assess if their patients qualify. We have seen successful use of this therapy in long-term care facilities and even in home use by EMS providers. This therapy can help save the lives of more Michigan residents as we work to vaccinate 70% of Michiganders age 16 and older with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported on its website that the agency has “transitioned from a direct ordering process to a state/territory-coordinated distribution system,” saying that the change will give “health departments maximum flexibility to get these critical drugs where they are needed most.”
But the federal health agency now is allocating a weekly distribution “based on weekly reports of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in addition to data on inventories and use” submitted by states to the federal government, HHS officials said.
Florida this week will be capped at receiving 27,850 doses of the monoclonal antibody treatment Regeneron and 3,100 doses of treatments developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, according to federal health officials.
Florida’s apportionment of treatments represents the largest share of any state, with Texas coming in second at 21,720 Regeneron doses and 2,370 doses of the Eli Lilly treatments this week.
This news comes one day after Dr. Joseph Ladapo was appointed as Florida’s Surgeon General by Ron DeSantis, in which Ladapo came under fire for opposing vaccine and mask mandates.
I found a Department of Defense letter that awards a contract to Regeneron back in July of 2020:
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/regeneron-contract-therapeutics.pdf
Michigan has a program for the use of monoclonal antibody therapy, which was released back in April of 2021. You can contact your healthcare provider, or go to Michigan’s COVID-19 Therapeutics Page Here to find an antibody treatment site.
