Antibodies used to treat Trump developed from blood samples from Singapore patients: report
SINGAPORE — One of the two antibodies in the cocktail used to treat US President Donald Trump for COVID-19 was developed using blood samples from three patients in Singapore, according to a report by Asian Scientist Magazine.
Trump had on Friday received a high dose of REGN-COV2, a combination of two antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which causes the COVID-19 disease, the report said on Monday (5 October).
The combination was developed by US-based biotechnology company Regeneron, which was able to clone the antibodies from both “humanised” mice and recovered COVID-19 patients to produce a reliable source of antibodies.
Asian Scientist reported that, while the humanised mice were based on a technology owned by Regeneron, the human plasma used was supplied by three Singapore patients through an agreement with the country’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
On 29 September, Regeneron announced positive data from a Phase One trial of 275 patients, showing that REGN-COV2 reduced viral levels and improved symptoms.
Trump had been administered the experimental therapy despite it not having received emergency use approval. It was administered under a compassionate use request, the report said.
He was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening to return to the White House, three days after being admitted to the hospital for treatment of complications from COVID-19.
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