CLEVELAND — President Donald Trump continues to recover from COVID-19 and he continues to get the best possible care for his coronavirus diagnosis. In fact, one of the treatments he received isn't available to the general public.
However, Dr. Keith Armitage with University Hospitals says the experimental drug is being studied in Cleveland and he’s optimistic about the outcome. University Hospitals is studying a similar type of monoclonal antibody treatment made by a different company. The Regeneron treatment, that the President received, is being studied at medical centers in Columbus and Dayton. It is not on the market and not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
In total, the President received three treatments for his coronavirus diagnosis, according to his care team at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
"The President got the two standard treatments that we give to sick patients who need oxygen,” said Dr. Keith Armitage, infectious disease specialist and the medical director of the UH Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine & Global Health.
According to the President’s doctors, in addtion to the Regeneron treatment, Mr. Trump received dexamethasone and remdesivir, which is an anti-viral drug.
"He got a promising approach, these manufactured monoclonal antibodies,” said Dr. Armitage. “A far as I know, he's the only person who's gotten these outside of a clinical trial and I hope these are available to everybody soon."
The experimental drug is intended to boost a body's immune system to fight off a virus, according to doctors. Currently, University Hospitals is doing a trial of a monoclonal antibody treatment, not the Regeneron treatment given to President Trump.
"It does appear to be promising and it's something that I have been enthusiastic about for a while, I think it's super plasma, more predictable, more reliable and more potent than plasma,” said Dr. Armitage. "In the President's case…they were aggressive early with any signs that he was going to get really sick."
