ORLANDO, Fla. – The head of the only company in America that makes a potentially lifesaving drug said his job is a race against time.
Todd McLaughlin, CEO of Orlando-based Profounda, oversees the production of the drug Impavido, which is used to combat amoeba found in lakes and stagnant water.
"We're hoping now with what happened in Florida, that we can actually beat the clock and get there in time," McLaughlin told News 6.
He's referring to a confirmed case of infection News 6 found out about Tuesday night.
The Florida Department of Health said a person in Broward County contracted it while swimming in a private lake.
McLaughlin said when he found out about the potential case, the medicine was in the car and out the door in 12 minutes.
"I was actually out of town in Boston, and I was able to call my son, who happened to be home," he said. "I had him go to the office and get the product and start driving the product to the hospital."
But there was some confusion.
While the Department of Health told News 6 the patient contracted the amoeba in Broward County and is a Broward County resident, McLaughlin said his drug didn't go to Broward County.
Privacy laws prevent him from saying where it went to.