Regeneron CEO cautions Trump’s results are ‘a case of one,’ and coronavirus drug needs more testing

USA President Donald Trump has termed the antibody cocktail he took to defend off the COVID19 coronavirus “a cure,” still the chief administrator of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. told Sunday that Trump’s position is mere “a case of one,” and the procedure still requires more testing before its effectiveness is known.

In an interaction with popular CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Regeneron REGN, 2.17% CEO Leonard Schleifer — whose organization made the innovative drug cocktail that helped Trump — warned into jumping to conclusions.

“So the USA president’s case is a state of one, and that’s something we call a status report, and it is proof of what’s happening, but it’s sort of the weakest proof that you can get,” he replied, according to a CBS News transcript.

Schleifer declared that while Trump’s case owned “some very exciting aspects,” such as his age and risk circumstances, his issues are “just low down on the proof scale that we need.”

“The original proof has to get — regarding how safe a drug is and whatever it will make on normal — has to take from these extensive clinical tests, certain randomized clinical trials, which are the gold criterion. And those are continuing,” he stated.

Trump’s doctors spoke Saturday the USA president was no hard at risk of spreading the coronavirus, and Trump said to Fox News on Sunday that he’s now safe to Covid ssymptoms .

Schleifer was careful in that estimate as well. While telling the Regeneron drug “does” produce immunity, it’s not understood how long it serves. “Maybe years could be months,” he responded. “If you notice it in our vial, if you wish, that’s moving to last you for months.” 

Schleifer also spoke about Trump’s call for the Regeneron drug to be disseminated for free to all who require it. The U.S. government has acquired 300,000 doses for $450 million, which will be disseminated for free, and Schleifer said there are previously 50,000 doses ready to go.

However, with the U.S. equating nearly 50,000 new cases every day last week, “It’s not acceptable,” Schleifer said, combining that if the drug is discovered to be effective, other drugmakers will be required to pitch in on production. “Regeneron can’t do this solo. We need the whole industry,” he stated.

Till then, he told the government and local health and wellness authorities should determine who gets the drug. “The unprotected people, old people, people who are at the leading risk, family contacts perhaps. We have to estimate out ways to ration this,” he stated. Regeneron shares are up 60% year to date, related to the S&P 500’s SPX, -0.26% 7.6% gain this year.