Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has lashed out at the Biden administration for the FDA’s decision on Monday to halt the use of antibody drugs in treating the Omicron variant of COVID-19. “Without a shred of clinical data to support this action, Biden has forced trained medical professionals to choose between treating their patients or breaking the law,” the Republican governor said in a statement, demanding that Biden reverse the “sudden and reckless” decision by the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. health officials said they opted to pull authorization for the drugs, made by Regeneron and Eli Lilly, because they are less effective against the highly transmissible COVID-19 variant. The move was widely expected, as the drugmakers had already admitted the antibody drugs would not be effective against Omicron. Monoclonal antibody treatment sites in Florida were also closed as a result of the FDA’s decision. DeSantis had made the antibody treatments a crucial part of his COVID-19 response, even while he railed against vaccine mandates. Health officials have stressed that the drugs are meant to be used to treat the most vulnerable groups, with vaccination still being the best way to protect against the virus.
