Trump officials promise fair distribution of new covid-19 antibody drug, but limited supply and logistical problems loom

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Wed, 2020-11-11 14:15 — mike kraft

Trump officials promise fair distribution of new covid-19 antibody drug, but limited supply and logistical problems loom The Eli Lilly & Co. drug is similar to an experimental treatment President Trump received when he was infected with the coronavirus. William Wan Washington Post

Trump administration officials Tuesday promised to fairly and swiftly distribute the first covid-19 treatment that helps to protect people with mild illness from developing severe symptoms. But the drug’s extremely limited supply and logistical difficulties in administering it could restrict how many people get access to it.

The Eli Lilly & Co. drug is similar to an experimental treatment President Trump received when he was infected with the novel coronavirus. It is a laboratory-brewed antibody that imitates the immune system’s attack on the virus.

The federal government Monday granted emergency use authorization for the drug, seen as a powerful tool that could save people from developing the worst symptoms of covid-19 until a vaccine against the novel coronavirus is widely available.

The federal government has more than 80,000 doses ready for allocation and distribution this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a briefing Tuesday. The medication “has the potential to save thousands of lives and significantly reduce the disease’s burden on the health-care system,” he said. ...

Because of the limited supply, the number of doses each state receives will be determined by the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations in a given week, federal officials said.

For example, this week, Vermont — with among the fewest cases — will receive only 20 doses. Meanwhile, South Dakota, where the virus is spreading uncontrollably, will get 820. Each week’s allocation will be made on a Wednesday.

By allocating the drug this way, officials hope to drive down hospitalizations because fewer patients will progress from mild symptoms to severe illness. ...

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