Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Germany Is Europe's First Nation To Buy Covid Meds Used To Treat Trump

Germany Is Europe's First Nation To Buy Covid Meds Used To Treat Trump

"The government has bought 200,000 doses for 400 million euros ($486 million)," Spahn told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, working out at 2,000 euros per dose.

Germany will become the first European Union country to start using the same experimental antibodies treatment credited with helping Donald Trump recover from Covid-19, health minister Jens Spahn said Sunday.

"The government has bought 200,000 doses for 400 million euros ($486 million)," Spahn told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, working out at 2,000 euros per dose.

Patients will receive them free of charge, a health ministry spokeswoman told AFP.

Two different kinds of so-called monoclonal antibody therapies will be made available to university hospitals from the coming week, with Spahn saying Germany was "the first country in the EU" to deploy them in the fight against the pandemic.

Both treatments have been approved for emergency use in the United States but have yet to receive the green light from European regulators.

The ministry spokeswoman said Germany's national regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PIE), had determined that use of the drugs was "in principle" allowed on a case-by-case basis if doctors deemed it appropriate to prevent "severe illness or hospitalisations among certain risk groups".

Germany has purchased doses of US firm Regeneron's Casirivimab/Imdevimab antibody cocktail, as well US company Eli Lilly's Bamlanivimab antibody drug, she added.

Trump, who was briefly hospitalised with the coronavirus last October, was treated with Regeneron's therapy, before it had gained formal authorisation.

He later said the medicine did "a fantastic job".

Regeneron's version is a combination or "cocktail" of two lab-made antibodies: infection-fighting proteins that were developed to bind to the surface protein of the coronavirus to stop it from invading human cells.

Eli Lilly's therapy works in a similar way but uses a single synthetic antibody.

Frustration


"They work like a passive vaccination. Administering these antibodies in the early stages can help high-risk patients avoid a more serious progression," Spahn told Bild.

Germany's decision to use the drugs before the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has authorised them comes at a time of growing frustration over a slower-than-expected rollout of vaccines in the EU.

Vaccine makers Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca have both said they would be delivering fewer doses to Europe than anticipated in the short term because of production problems.

The German government has said it nonetheless expects to be able to offer all Germans a jab by the end of August.

Although Germany, the EU's most populous nation and its biggest economy, coped relatively well with the first coronavirus wave last spring, it has been hit hard by a resurgence in cases in recent months.

The emergence of new, more contagious strains has added to concerns.

The country has recorded over two million cases since the start of the pandemic, and more than 50,000 deaths.

Schools, non-essential shops, culture and leisure facilities are closed until February 14 in a bid to slow the infection rate, while companies have been urged to allow staff to work from home whenever possible.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
×