OCALA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been a champion of monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 across Florida, announced a new treatment to prevent getting the virus.
DeSantis made the announcement Friday at the Ocala Regional Medical Center.
Monoclonal antibody treatments, like Regeneron, that have been used in Florida throughout the pandemic were predominantly used to treat someone after they were infected with COVID.
This new treatment, made by AstraZeneca, is different. It's called Evusheld and is used as a long-term preventative to getting the virus.
It received emergency use authorization from the FDA on Dec. 8, the company said.
AstraZeneca says it will be used for "pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19.
Now, people will be able to get doses of Evusheld in Florida, DeSantis said. The state has 3,100 doses that will be distributed to sites that are already administering monoclonal antibody treatments, he said.
To find sites in Florida that offer this treatment and other monoclonal antibody treatments, you can visit FloridaHealthCovid19.gov.
The Associated Press says Evusheld is authorized for people with serious health problems or allergies who can’t get adequate protection from vaccination.
People who could benefit from the antibody drug include cancer patients, organ transplant recipients and people taking immune-suppressing drugs for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Health experts estimate about 2 percent to 3 percent of the U.S. population falls into that group.
Specifically, the FDA authorized Evusheld for adults and children 12 and older whose immune systems haven't responded adequately to COVID-19 vaccines or have a history of severe allergic reactions to the shots. Regulators said the required two antibody injections may be effective at preventing COVID-19 infections for six months.
The FDA and other health authorities have stressed that antibody drugs are not a substitute for vaccines, which are the most effective, long-lasting and economical form of virus protection. Antibody drugs are tricky to manufacture and often cost more than $1,000 per dose compared with vaccines that are typically under $30 per shot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.