10 COVID-19 carriers in Israel died after refusing Regeneron antibody cocktail, TV report says.

10 COVID-19 carriers in Israel died from complications of the disease after refusing to be persuaded by Kupat Holim Meuhedet, one of Israel’s major health maintenance organizations, to take the antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Channel 12 News reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the other Israeli HMOs reported an additional 1,500 patients who refused the drug, meaning there could be as many as 120 Israelis who died from complications of COVID-19, after refusing a drug that could have saved their lives.

The FDA granted emergency authorization to the therapy developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in October of 2020.

Former US President Donald Trump was given the Regeneron antibody treatment when he developed COVID-19.

After he was released from hospital where he was treated for his bout with COVID-19, Trump published a video message in which he praised the Regeneron antibody cocktail and said he would work to get Regeneron and similar drugs available to everyone.

Channel 12 News reported about a week ago that more than 1,000 Israelis who were infected with COVID-19 have been treated with Pfizer’s new drug, Paxlovid, since it arrived in Israel, but that one in three patients refuse to receive the drug.

To date, about 1,030 patients have received the Pfizer drug - and none of them has required hospitalization. However, about 430 COVID-19 patients refused to receive the drug, even though they were found suitable to receive it.