Trump officials promise fair distribution of new covid-19 antibody drug, but limited supply and logistical problems loom

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The federal government is ready to distribute 80,000 doses this week.

Trump administration officials Tuesday promised to fairly and swiftly distribute the first covid-19 treatment that helps to protect people with mild illness from developing severe symptoms. But the drug’s extremely limited supply and logistical difficulties in administering it could restrict how many people get access to it.

The Eli Lilly & Co. drug is similar to an experimental treatment President Trump received when he was infected with the novel coronavirus. It is a laboratory-brewed antibody that imitates the immune system’s attack on the virus.

The federal government Monday granted emergency use authorization for the drug, seen as a powerful tool that could save people from developing the worst symptoms of covid-19 until a vaccine against the novel coronavirus is widely available. Continue reading.