New polling data shows that 70 percent of Americans favor a diverse treatment and prevention strategy to fight COVID
November 16, 2023
ARLINGTON, VA—The American Consumer Institute (ACI) today launched a nationwide campaign urging the Biden Administration and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize the approval of new COVID therapies, like monoclonal antibodies. “Close the COVID Gap” is aimed at ensuring that the more than 7 million immunocompromised Americans – for whom the current vaccines and oral antiviral drugs might not be a solution — have prevention and treatment options to protect them from COVID-19.
“The Biden Administration keeps touting its COVID strategy as one that allows Americans to ‘return to normal,’ but that is not the case for the more than 7 million Americans who are unable to receive the COVID vaccine or take oral antivirals,” said Steve Pociask, President and CEO of the American Consumer Institute. “Currently, there are no monoclonal antibody therapies available to patients. More than 70 percent of Americans believe that the administration must prioritize approval of these treatments and preventative options, and we are committed to advocating for those who have been left behind by the Biden Administration’s current approach. The status quo is simply insufficient.”
The campaign website includes data from a new ACI poll, conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, which shows that 70 percent of Americans agree that we must have a diverse strategy that utilizes all the prevention and treatment tools. A one-size-fits-all approach is not working now and will not work going forward. Additionally, the poll data shows that half of Americans agree that immunocompromised patients needing treatments such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to help protect them from COVID is a strong reason to support more approvals.
The website also includes information explaining how mAbs work and how these novel products can be used to expand prevention and treatment options for immunocompromised patients who cannot simply rely on current therapies and, thus, have not achieved a “return to normal” like much of the rest of the nation.
Monoclonal antibodies are molecules developed in a laboratory designed to mimic or enhance the body’s natural immune system response against an invader, such as a virus or an infection. People with compromised immune systems often do not benefit from vaccines. Many of these patients must take medications that can have harmful interactions with the antivirals that are approved to treat COVID.
About ACI:
The American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and research institute. The Institute focuses on economic policy issues that affect society as a whole, and we seek to be a better and more reasoned voice for consumers by using economic tools and principles to find public policies that work best for consumers. For more information about the Institute, visit www.TheAmericanConsumer.Org or follow us on Twitter (X) @ConsumerPal.