Corona drug
This is how the Trump drug works
Donald Trump called the antibody drug a "miracle"
© IuliaIR / Shutterstock.com
Germany will soon be the first country in the EU to use new antibody drugs; Donald Trump has already received one.
The federal government is relying on new drugs in the fight against the corona pandemic: As Health Minister Jens Spahn (40) explained to "Bild am Sonntag", 200,000 doses of monoclonal antibodies of REGN-COV2 and Bamlanivimab were purchased for 400 million euros. The antibodies work like a passive vaccination and can help prevent the disease from getting serious.
One of the drugs is best known for its use by the former US President Donald Trump (74). After his corona illness in October 2020, he was treated with the REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail from Regeneron. Its artificially generated antibodies bind to the spike protein, a key protein of Sars-CoV-2, so that the virus can no longer penetrate human cells and multiply.
Not yet approved in the EU
In this way, severe courses can be better prevented in those who are already infected. It could also protect people from infection, similar to a vaccination. Trump was enthusiastic after his treatment, calling the cocktail a "miracle" and a "cure". Whether his rapid recovery can really only be attributed to the drug is difficult to understand given his all-round treatment.
The drugs have not yet been approved in the EU, and in the USA they only have an emergency approval. Under strict control, Germany can still use the drugs at university clinics – as the first country in the EU.