DeSantis To Buy Antibody Treatments Directly From Manufacturer After Biden Targets Florida With Punitive Measures
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis aired his concern with the recent move of President Joe Biden to restrict the distribution of monoclonal antibodies after a surge in demand in southern states.
The Republican governor said he was “very, very concerned” with the supply control as he noted how many hospitals in the state have been using monoclonal antibody treatment which he described as a lifesaving treatment for COVID-19.
“Just last week on September 9th, President Joe Biden said that his administration would be increasing shipments of monoclonal antibodies in September by 50%, and yet on September 13th, HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services) announced that it was seizing control of the monoclonal antibody supply and that it would control distribution, and then on September 14th, the announcement was more than 50% of the monoclonal antibodies that had been used in Florida were going to be reduced,” DeSantis said.
“So this is a dramatic reduction, and I’d say it’s doubly problematic because what Shane Strum and folks in Tampa General and these other hospital systems have been doing, they’re not getting it from the state,” he added.
“What the HHS and the Biden administration is now doing is they’re saying that all of the reduced amount will go to the state, and we’re responsible not only for sourcing our sites, which we’re happy to do, but any infusion center, any provider, any hospital will have to come through the state, and to just spring this on us starting next week, we’re going to have to do that,” DeSantis continued.
“There’s going to be a huge disruption and patients are going to suffer as a result of this,” the governor explained.
President Biden says that the GOP governors of Florida, Texas, and Mississippi are "undermining the life-saving requirements that I propose" because they are pushing back against his vaccine mandate proposal.
"This is the worst kind of politics" pic.twitter.com/V2zIeJT8YO
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 16, 2021
With this hurdle from the Biden administration, DeSantis said he will “work like hell to make sure” that Florida ‘can overcome the obstacles that HHS and the Biden administration” are placing on the state, noting that the therapy has saved lives in Florida.
“To just kind of pull the rug out from anyone a week after the president himself said they were going to be increasing the distributions by 50%, it’s very, very problematic,” DeSantis lamented.
“What I am doing though, is we’re going to try to cover the bases.”
Florida to source directly from manufacturer
DeSantis said he spoke with GlaxoSmithKline officials and believes that Florida will be able to buy their monoclonal antibody straight from the company, bypassing Biden’s ban on the life-saving therapy.
From @GovRonDeSantis’ schedule. GSK has its own monoclonal treatment. Working to confirm content of today’s call. Source in the admin thinks it’s “safe to assume” gov wants to buy supply directly from the company. pic.twitter.com/C2gmfDF3AB
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) September 16, 2021
Florida's @GovRonDeSantis confirming this– saying today he will seek to buy monoclonal therapies directly from GSK, circumventing the HHS process. pic.twitter.com/YX8MKBxAEd
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) September 16, 2021
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of former President Donald Trump, noted the Biden administration’s move to restrict the monoclonal antibody treatment is the Democratic administration’s way to “punish” its political opponents.
“Americans will die because of Biden’s despicable decision to punish his political enemies in red states by restricting their ability to secure life-saving monoclonal antibody treatments for all that need them,” Trump tweeted.
“Their blood is directly on Joe’s hands,” he added.
Separately, Senator Marco Rubio (Florida) also noted how monoclonal antibody treatments have helped stem hospitalization rates in the state.
“Antibody treatments aren’t a substitute for vaccines But they have prevented thousands of hospitalizations including in breakthrough cases,” Rubio said.
“Now in a move that reeks of partisan payback against states like Florida, the Biden administration is rationing these treatments,” it added.
