Florida's Ron DeSantis is very upset the FDA canceled 2 antibody cocktails that don't work against Omicron

Regeneron infusion center in Florida
(Image credit: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday withdrew its emergency use authorization for two monoclonal antibody treatments shown to be ineffective against COVID-19's Omicron variant. With Omicron now making up more than 99 percent of U.S. coronavirus infections, the FDA said, the Regeneron and Eli Lilly antibody cocktails are "highly unlikely" to help COVID patients.

"The FDA announcement was expected, as both drugmakers have said for weeks that the treatments are less able to target Omicron because of its mutations," The Associated Press reports. But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has made costly, federally supplied monoclonal antibody treatments a central part of his state's COVID response, complained about the FDA's "reckless" decision.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.