Monoclonal antibodies

Pfizer plans to let the biotech drug developer continue innovating, except with more resources. Seagen's key products use monoclonal antibodies that help deliver a cancer-killing drug while sparing surrounding tissue.

The Food and Drug Administration says the Eli Lilly drug is no longer approved for emergency use because it is ineffective against current omicron strains.

The treatments were highly popular earlier in the pandemic. One by one, they got knocked out by more convenient, less expensive treatment options, and new COVID variants.

CEO Tina Vidal-Duart says the company will reopen sites if Congress passes funding that covers monoclonal antibody testing or if other sources of funding become available.

Unlike other monoclonal antibody therapies, Evusheld is not meant to treat active coronavirus infection. Instead, it's preventative medicine for people with compromised immune systems.

Treatments are only available for patients at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. Select pharmacies and health facilities have supplies.

Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris says some sites in the county offer sotrovimab. which remains authorized for use against omicron but is in short supply.

While the governor said the treatments are "not 100%," he added that they should still be made available.

The FDA says therapies from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they don't work against omicron. Gov. Ron DeSantis says the action will "cost some Americans their lives."

The top 12 states using antibody therapies produced by Regeneron and Lilly, which research shows don’t work against omicron, include several Southern states with some of the lowest vaccination rates and California, which ranks among the top 20 for fully vaccinated residents.