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.
Three college students face federal charges over alleged threats against Trump ahead of campus rally
Trump planning a 10-state travel blitz in the midterms’ closing stages — visiting all but one battleground
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Christianity rejected, socialist streamer speaks, violence glorified
FBI’s first cyber fugitive on Ten Most Wanted list returns to US after capture in Venezuela
Blue state councilman mocked after claiming self-driving cars are ‘murdering’ pets: ‘Hide your cats’
Watch: Letitia James Has No Answer When Reporter Points Out Big Problem with Her Cornell Move
DNA Test Leads to Adopted Man Learning His Biological Father Is a Rock-and-Roll Legend
Justice Department Finds UCLA Law Has Been Discriminating Against White, Asian Applicants for Years
Watch: Reporter Narrowly Dodges ‘Murder Attempt’ While Filming Outside ‘Taxpayer Funded Drug Dealing Operation’
‘Cornell 7’ Case Turns Political as Kathy Hochul Gets Involved with Executive Order
Los Angeles County Rolls Out New 10.25 Percent Sales Tax
FBI overhauls tech backbone to counter AI threats from foreign adversaries, reduce response times, Patel says
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner, Ken Urker, found dead inside his Louisiana home: sheriff
Amazon expands Prime settlement payouts: Do you qualify?
Dems demanding Venezuela brief face State Department fury as senators leave town without answers
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.”
Three college students face federal charges over alleged threats against Trump ahead of campus rally
Trump planning a 10-state travel blitz in the midterms’ closing stages — visiting all but one battleground
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Christianity rejected, socialist streamer speaks, violence glorified
FBI’s first cyber fugitive on Ten Most Wanted list returns to US after capture in Venezuela
Blue state councilman mocked after claiming self-driving cars are ‘murdering’ pets: ‘Hide your cats’
Watch: Letitia James Has No Answer When Reporter Points Out Big Problem with Her Cornell Move
DNA Test Leads to Adopted Man Learning His Biological Father Is a Rock-and-Roll Legend
Justice Department Finds UCLA Law Has Been Discriminating Against White, Asian Applicants for Years
Watch: Reporter Narrowly Dodges ‘Murder Attempt’ While Filming Outside ‘Taxpayer Funded Drug Dealing Operation’
‘Cornell 7’ Case Turns Political as Kathy Hochul Gets Involved with Executive Order
Los Angeles County Rolls Out New 10.25 Percent Sales Tax
FBI overhauls tech backbone to counter AI threats from foreign adversaries, reduce response times, Patel says
Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s partner, Ken Urker, found dead inside his Louisiana home: sheriff
Amazon expands Prime settlement payouts: Do you qualify?
Dems demanding Venezuela brief face State Department fury as senators leave town without answers
President Donald Trump has suggested that hydroxychloroquine could be effective, and has encouraged further study. His interest in the drug has prompted pushback from the media.
NBC News’ Peter Alexander accused the president last week of giving Americans “false hope,” and Politico’s Dan Diamond reported Sunday that the FDA decision came despite “scant evidence,” adding that “[c]areer scientists have been skeptical of the effort.”
Story cited here.
