Washington Post: Trump pushes FDA to quickly clear coronavirus antibody treatments, erroneously calling them a ‘cure’
“President Trump and a top aide are pushing the Food and Drug Administration to quickly grant emergency clearance for a promising but unproven covid-19 therapy that the president received nearly a week ago and has credited with his rapid recovery, according to two senior administration officials. Trump and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have called FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to urge him to accelerate the agency’s review of the drug, a cocktail of laboratory-made antibodies made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the efforts. Critics say that by inserting himself again into the approval process for treatments — as he did with hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma — Trump risks further undermining trust in regulators and confusing Americans since his own hopeful story may not reflect how the drug works for others. In the case of the antibody drugs, however, many physicians and scientists think they are among the most promising approaches to treat covid-19 and there may be enough evidence to support an emergency clearance…” (Johnson et al., 10/8).

Financial Times: Regeneron: the company that Trump claims cured his Covid (Stacey et al., 10/9).

Financial Times: Covid drug used to treat Trump was tested using fetus cells (Stacey, 10/8).

The Hill: Regeneron asks for emergency approval of coronavirus treatment Trump received (Bowden, 10/8).

New York Times: Trump’s Covid Treatments Were Tested in Cells Derived From Fetal Tissue (Mandavilli/Holt, 10/8).

POLITICO: Trump is promising free antibody treatments for everyone. It won’t be that simple (Brennan, 10/8).

STAT: Trump’s treatment puts a spotlight on Regeneron, and the pugnacious pair who run it (Herper, 10/8).