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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – who has been criticized for opposing mask warrants and vaccine passports – is now touting a Covid antibody treatment in which a major donor company has invested millions of dollars.
DeSantis flew over the state to promote Regeneron, a monoclonal antibody treatment that was used on then-President Donald Trump after testing positive for Covid. The governor started talking about it as a cure last year.
Citadel, a Chicago-based hedge fund, owns $ 15.9 million in shares of Regeneron Pharmaceutical, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin donated $ 10.75 million to a political committee that supports DeSantis – $ 5.75 million in 2018 and $ 5 million last April.
It is not unusual for hedge funds to have a wide range of investments. And BlackRock, which mainly donated to Democratic candidates but also made substantial donations to Republicans, has a significant stake in the company – more than Citadel.
DeSantis stepped up the call for Floridians to seek monoclonal antibody treatments in August as coronavirus cases increased. He has held press conferences at treatment sites and at a hospital in Tampa touting the drug’s effectiveness if people receive treatment soon after testing positive.
“Early treatment with these monoclonal antibodies – Regeneron and others – has been shown to drastically reduce the chances that someone will end up being hospitalized,” DeSantis said Monday at a treatment site in Orlando. “Reducing hospitalizations must be a top priority. “
Experts agree with him. Medications, when given within 10 days of the first symptoms, have been shown to reduce hospitalization and death rates by about 70%.
“We definitely need treatments like monoclonal antibodies that can prevent mild disease from progressing to serious disease. At the end of the day, it’s always best to prevent someone from contracting Covid-19 in the first place, ”said Dr. Leana Wen, professor of public health at George Washington University and former Baltimore health commissioner. . “Monoclonal antibodies are not prevention. “
Texas Governor Greg Abbott tested positive for Covid on Tuesday and is receiving Regeneron treatments. Like DeSantis, he opposed mask warrants in public schools. He was vaccinated in December.
DeSantis threatened to punish school districts for requiring masks. He is also opposed to vaccine passports and has had an ongoing legal battle with Norwegian Cruise Lines, which wants to require passengers to show proof of vaccination.
Citadel’s investment in Regeneron is only a tiny fraction of its $ 39 billion investment, but if the share price were to rise, Citadel would benefit. DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw points out that Citadel has much larger investments in Moderna and Pfizer, which make Covid vaccines.
But the relationship has generated a buzz on social media, as Democrats question the relationship.
“To assert that there is somehow ‘corruption’ in promoting the baseless political narrative that Governor DeSantis backs Regeneron on Covid vaccines (completely bogus, but that’s another topic) isn’t even logically consistent when you review the SEC file, “Pushaw said in an email. “Citadel owns many more shares of Pfizer and Moderna than Regeneron.”
And while DeSantis has had a very public war of words with Democratic President Joe Biden over the requirement for masks in schools and other virus precautions, they both encourage monoclonal antibody treatments. A Regeneron treatment costs over $ 1,000, while a vaccine costs around $ 25.
“Vaccines prevent serious illnesses caused by COVID-19. But if an unvaccinated person contracts COVID, or if a vaccinated person contracts a breakthrough infection, people in risk categories with comorbidities should consider receiving early treatment with Regeneron. It is safe, effective, and free for all Florida patients. It shouldn’t be a political issue – it’s about saving lives, ”Pushaw said.
The federal government pays for monoclonal antibody treatments and patients are not billed for the antibody cocktail. Florida has set up processing sites in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Brevard County. The state plans to add more sites.
Griffin, a billionaire, has donated tens of millions of dollars to other Conservative candidates and political committees across the country. He grew up in Florida and built a beachfront mansion near the Trump resort in Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago.
The Citadel declined to comment.
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