President Donald Trump has received an experimental antibody treatment for COVID-19, his doctor announced on Friday. Trump was infused with Regeneron's REGN-COV2 'antibody cocktail' and has also been given zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin, and a daily aspirin. The president is described as 'fatigued' but in good spirits, while First Lady Melania Trump suffers from a mild cough and headache.
The treatment announcement came hours after Trump and Melania revealed they had tested positive for the coronavirus in the early hours of Friday. Trump had attended a campaign fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday, raising $5 million, where he is believed to have been exposed. All future campaign events have been cancelled.
Regeneron's drug, REGN-COV2, contains two monoclonal antibodies designed to neutralise the virus. Early trial data suggest it can reduce viral load and shorten recovery time in non-hospitalised patients. However, the treatment is still experimental, and two patients in the trial experienced adverse events, one serious.
Vice President Mike Pence, who has tested negative, replaced Trump on a conference call with governors. Joe Biden and his wife Jill, as well as Trump's son Barron, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Nancy Pelosi, have all tested negative. Shares of Regeneron rose in after-hours trading following the announcement.
