Gov. DeSantis christens additional monoclonal treatment sites

Was the empahasis on regeneron the right call? Image via AP.

Two additional monoclonal antibody sites will open Tuesday in Alachua and St. Lucie counties, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday.

The sites will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can serve more than 300 patients a day. More details and locations are available online.

Monoclonal antibody treatment involves injecting laboratory-created antibodies into the system of a COVID-19 infected person.

The treatment, health officials say, may reduce symptoms and prevent virus-related hospitalizations.

DeSantis said clinical trials and real-world data show the cost-free cocktail can reduce the odds of hospitalization by 70%.

“We think that this is innovative,” DeSantis told reporters in Englewood. “We think that this has been underutilized and we want to bring this tool to the effort.”

DeSantis is among the first state leaders to actively promote the treatment. 

Within the last week, he has opened more than a dozen sites and praised the drug before media outlets statewide.

“We saw the need to expand visibility on this but also to expand access,” DeSantis said.

There are signs, however, that other states are following suit.

White House officials reported recently that federal shipments of the drugs increased five-fold last month to nearly 110,000 doses, mostly to states with low vaccination rates.

A Florida Department of Emergency Management official described the drug Monday as a game-changer, though it’s not a replacement for the vaccine. He urged high-risk Floridians to seek monoclonal antibodies shortly after possible COVID-19 exposure.

“Unfortunately, I think this was the best-kept secret during the pandemic,” said DEM Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kenneth Scheppke.

DeSantis expects roughly 21 sites to be fully operational by midweek in Florida. He also expects Florida to administer 10,000 treatments in 48 hours.

The treatment, he stressed, is cost-free.

“It’s already been paid for,” DeSantis said.

In January, the Donald Trump administration purchased Regeneron’s entire stock of monoclonal antibodies, making it free to those who need it.

Months later, Trump himself received the treatment after contracting COVID-19.

He promoted the therapeutic as a “miracle” and a “cure.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the injectable antibody cocktail in August as an early COVID-19 treatment for people at high risk for severe infections.