Regeneron chief executive Leonard Schleifer on Sunday said President Donald Trump’s treatment with the company’s experimental antibody cocktail is “a case of one,” but stressed ongoing clinical trials still need to show its efficacy.
“The president’s case is a case of one, and that’s what we call a case report, and it is evidence of what’s happening, but it’s kind of the weakest evidence that you can get,” Schliefer said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Schleifer added that there were “some very interesting aspects” in Trump’s case, such as his age. He also noted that the president “had some risk factors,” and that Trump “did not have his own immune system in gear when he was sick and he got treated” with Regeneron’s treatment.
He added that Trump‘s case is “perhaps the most analyzed case report ever” but is “just low down on the evidence scale that we really need.”
He noted that clinical trials are the standard for whether it’s effective.
“The real evidence has to come about how good a drug is and what it will do on average has to come from these large clinical trials, these randomized clinical trials, which are the gold standard. And those are ongoing,” Schleifer said. “We’ve got some preliminary evidence that we’ve talked with the FDA, and we’re going for an emergency use authorization, because we think it’s appropriate at this time.”
Trump, who was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being diagnosed with coronavirus, was treated with the experimental antibody drug and touted it as a “cure.”
In an interview Sunday with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump said he’s beaten Covid-19 and claimed immunity from the virus.
Asked on CBS by host Margaret Brennan whether Regeneron’s drug creates immunity, Schleifer said, “It does.”
“If you get it in our vial, if you will, that’s probably going to last you for months,” Schleifer said.
