FDA Gives Emergency Authorization of Hydroxychloroquine Use

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency authorization Sunday for hydroxychloroquine, a drug already used to treat malaria and other ailments, which has shown anecdotal efficacy against coronavirus.

The use of the drug — often paired with azithromycin — has not yet been proven in clinical trials to be effective against the disease. However, given reported success in a growing number of small, non-randomized studies; as well as testimonials from doctors and patients about the use of the “off-label” drug regimen, doctors are said to be prescribing the treatment to patients who are severely ill. Anecdotally, many doctors are taking it prophylactically.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a statement on Sunday:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to BARDA to allow hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate products donated to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to hospitalized teen and adult patients with COVID-19, as appropriate, when a clinical trial is not available or feasible.

House Republican Considering Plan to Expel Ilhan Omar from Congress

Bombshell Claim: Brown University Was Asked to Cut Cameras Earlier in the Year to Protect Palestinian Activists

As illicit vapes flood the country, authorities ramp up enforcement

Graham leads bipartisan demand for tech reform vote to ‘bring social media companies to heel’

Schumer accuses Trump admin of Epstein files ‘cover-up’ amid document dispute

Trump Admin Immediately Halts Visa Program That Allowed Brown and MIT Suspect Into the Country

Democrats’ last-minute move to block GOP funding plan sends lawmakers home early

Virginia Court Ignores ICE Detainer, Releases Illegal Alien Accused of Murder Hours Later

Judge tosses Trump-linked lawsuit targeting Chief Justice Roberts, dealing setback to Trump allies

Extremely Strange 25-Year-Old Connection Uncovered Between Dead Brown Shooting Suspect from Portugal and Murdered MIT Professor for Portugal

Sports reporter’s 3-year-old opened door for grandpa who then found couple dead in home: report

Suspect in Brown shooting, MIT murder found dead and more top headlines

Video: Brown Univ. President Drops Astonishing Claim on Missing Cameras That Absolutely No One Believes

Noem announces pause on immigrant visa lottery that allowed alleged Brown shooter to enter US

These members of Congress will leave their jobs (mostly) voluntarily

HHS also noted that it had “accepted 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine sulfate donated by Sandoz, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division, and one million doses of chloroquine phosphate donated by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, for possible use in treating patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or for use in clinical trials.”

Earlier, the French government had approved similar drugs to treat the virus.

Amid concerns that the sudden interest in hydroxychloroquine could cause shortages, HHS noted: “Use of the donated medications is expected to help ease supply pressures for the drug, and the FDA is also working with manufacturers of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to increase production to ensure these drugs also remain available for patients dependent on them for treatment of malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.”