Dr. Leonard Schleifer, the founder and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, said on Sunday that President Trump's successful treatment with the company's antibody cocktail is "the weakest evidence you can get" on whether the drug produces immunity or is a cure.
Driving the news: Since leaving Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is "immune" from COVID-19 and said he views the antibody cocktail as a "cure."
What they're saying: “The president’s case is a case of one, and that’s what we call a case report. And it is evidence, but it’s kind of the weakest evidence that you can get," Schleifer told CBS News' "Face the Nation."
- “[T]he real evidence about how good a drug is and what it will do on average has to come from these larger clinical trials, these larger randomized trials, which are the gold standard, and those are ongoing," he said.
- The president’s case is “just low down on the evidence scale that we really need," and while the drug does create immunity, "it's probably going to last you months," Schleifer added.
The bottom line: “Regeneron can’t do this alone. We need the entire industry. And I am so proud, the industry has risen,” Schleifer said.
What to watch: Regeneron and Eli Lilly, which is developing a similar therapy, have applied for an emergency use authorization from the FDA.
Go deeper: Ex-FDA chief says Trump "definitely missed the window" to mass produce antibody drug