This letter: A Way to Start Again
Explain to experts how business and finance are resuming, after a pandemic. We are shipped three times a week.
When Selene Rico became ill with Covid-19 he was worried because he had diabetes, which puts people at greater risk of getting serious illness. But if hundreds of thousands of Americans are unprotected, last month they went to the hospital for a monoclonal implant. and antibodies and I was feeling better within a few days.
“One of the nurses told me that this was an infusion given to President Trump when he grabbed Covid-19 and recovered,” Rico told the Financial Times.
“This was another reason I relied on myself when I got help: he wouldn’t do anything stupid to the president.”
The demand for pesticides produced by Regeneron and Eli Lilly has doubled since mid-July, as the deadly Covid-19 wave sweeps the country, according to the government. data. The U.S. sale of Sotrovimab, the same product produced by GlaxoSmithKline, was three times in August compared to July, the company said.
Increasing awareness of the drug, the opening of new antibodies, and the increasing number of infections in countries with low immunization are increasing the need for and costing manufacturers more.
But it has also caused problems in other countries, creating a dilemma as to who can afford the expensive drugs and whether they are representative of people who do not need the vaccine.
Last month the government began overseeing the distribution of blood products from AmerisourceBergen over concerns about poor drug distribution.
More showing seven southern countries received more than half the lead last week on Sept. 13. Six countries – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee – had lower vaccinations compared to the country.
The governors of Florida and Texas, who oppose vaccination activities and praise antibodies, criticized changes in state law and ordered the addition of Sotrovimab to address a lack of hope.
“There was a misconception that, you know, monoclonal antibodies are good and vaccines are not high. And that made things worse, “said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Institute for Translational Institute.
“Many people who hate vax think they can go and get antibodies when they get sick. But that is not the case. ”
Health experts warn that antibodies will only work if they are used shortly after the onset of Covid-19 and will not provide long-term protection against the virus. They can play an important role in preventing people who are at high risk of contracting the disease but should not be used as a first line of defense against the virus, he says.
In addition to the risks of relying on Covid-19 drugs rather than the Covid-19 vaccine, these drugs are also more harmful. The U.S. government is spending $ 2,100 on each of Regeneron’s antibody outlets – a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab – under a $ 2.9bn deal last month to help reduce drug shortages.
Pfizer initially paid the US government $ 19.50 per vaccine while Moderna paid the US government about $ 15 per jab.
The World Health Organization has asked Regeneron to reduce its prices and provide equal access to its services worldwide.
“Surprisingly, the vaccine is very cheap and very effective. But we are in the middle of a crisis and as long as there is money to pay for the drugs, then we have to use them, ”said Jason Gallagher, a professor of medicine at Temple University School of Pharmacy.
He said it was logical, as difficult, for many people to feel that they could have a chance and reduce Covid-19 without a vaccine. However, they should still be given access to life-saving medicines, says Gallagher.
But finding antibodies elsewhere in the US is difficult because of the growing number of people seeking them.
Leonard Schleifer, Regeneron’s chief of staff, criticizes the lack of funding for policymakers and health professionals, who initially avoided promoting medical care in self-defense on the grounds that doing so could prevent people from getting vaccinated.
“The world is focused on vaccines and medical care that are not neglected,” he told the Financial Times.
“If only we were educating people that vaccination is the first and foremost option. But if you were sick but did not receive the vaccine or, or did not receive the vaccine, you were more effective, especially if you gave it early. ”
Schleifer said that by the time the Delta storm hit in August the number of drugs that Regeneron in the US had risen to 250,000 a week, starting at about 1,000 in June. The government should sit down with the company soon to cater for their needs by 2022, he added.
Health experts say development Merck’s antiviral tablets could reduce the need for antibody drugs next year. Numerous previous studies show that molnupiravir reduces the number of hospital admissions and dies by 50%. But the pills have not yet been approved for use by regulators, which means they can no longer cope with the current shortage of drugs.
At the Family Health Center in San Diego, where Rico was injected with an antibody, his weapons were about to expire last week.
“It was too close to be comforted last week with only 100 medicines in the refrigerator,” said Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist at the facility.
He said the site follows national guidelines that place high-risk populations from Covid, which means that people without vaccines are at the forefront of the trend. But as a “health care provider” it is unreasonable to use the drug for people who could have avoided the disease with a cheap jab, added Ramers.