One of the hallmarks of Florida’s response to the COVID “pandemic” has been that it not only encourages residents to get vaccinated, but it provides no-cost therapeutics via a network of clinics.
The Biden administration has not been a fan of this strategy because it is both effective and popular, as best one can tell. Back in September, the Biden administration preemptively took control of the distribution of the monoclonal antibodies used by Florida’s program and began throttling the number of doses available for distribution in Florida’s clinical network. Allegedly, this was to ensure that other states received a “fair share,” but it was hard to shake the feeling that the move was aimed at damaging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis more than having some larger public health purpose.
As if to underscore this hostility, late Monday, the Food and Drug Administration preemptively pulled the Emergency Use Authorization for the primary monoclonal antibodies used by Florida.
As a result of the @US_FDA‘s abrupt decision to remove the EUAs for two monoclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibody treatment sites will be closed until further notice. Full press release is below. pic.twitter.com/RGeWTPwxCs
— Florida Dept. of Health (@HealthyFla) January 25, 2022
The only reason given by the FDA is in this guidance.
There are two key points concerning the guidance. First, the FDA has furnished no clinical data to substantiate its claim that the drugs used by Florida clinics are not effective against the “Omicron” variant of the virus. All anyone has is a bald-faced assertion by the same people who have lied to us repeatedly and vigorously for the last two years. Second, just because Omicron is the dominant variant is a relatively meaningless data point as Delta is still circulating (or it was as of last week when I had it). Regardless, it places the FDA in the position of forbidding physicians from prescribing a drug they are familiar with for no other reason than it has that power.
