Regeneron asks for emergency approval of coronavirus treatment Trump received

Biotech company Regeneron moved Wednesday to apply for emergency approval for an experimental antibody treatment praised by President Trump.

“Subsequent to our discussions with regulatory authorities, we have submitted a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for our REGN-COV2 investigational antibody combination for COVID-19,” the company said in a news release.

The move came just hours after the president praised the efficacy of the treatment in a short video message posted on Twitter.

“They gave me Regeneron, it’s called Regeneron,” Trump said in the five-minute video Wednesday afternoon. “It was unbelievable. I felt good immediately. I felt as good three days ago as I do now.”

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! pic.twitter.com/uhLIcknAjT

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020

Trump was known to be on other drug treatments besides Regeneron, including the powerful steroid dexamethasone, during his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of COVID-19.

Regeneron’s chief science officer told the Times in a statement that it was “logical” to assume Trump had responded to the company’s treatment.

“That’s a logical conclusion,” said George Yancopoulos, who is also the company’s president. “Based on his symptomology, that has to have happened.”

Regeneron’s experimental antibody cocktail resulted from its efforts under Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s effort to fund biotech firms involved in manufacturing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.