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.

Defeated Virginia Republicans regroup for last chance fight to save House majority

DOJ charges 2 Chinese nationals who allegedly ran overseas cryptocurrency scam center targeting Americans

Lindsey Graham expects Trump’s Iran blockade to go ‘global’

Google engineer stole AI secrets for China, Senate hears in explosive testimony

Pat Fallon launches bid for House Oversight Committee chairman as James Comer’s term limit nears

Suspect accused of hurling chainsaw at deputies during chaotic stolen car chase caught on video

Trump Gives Navy a Shoot-on-Sight Order a Day After Firing its Leader

Watch: Dem Congressional Candidate Accidentally Exposes the Horrors of IVF with Her Pro-Abortion Argument

Memphis dog-walker makes haunting discovery: Bones of 3 children

Overnight ‘Vote-a-Rama’ Ends with Senate Approving ICE Funding Resolution

Ron DeSantis Accepts Hakeem Jeffries’ Challenge, Prepares to Fight Back Against Democrats’ Virginia Power Grab

GOP congressman wants to add Arlington and Alexandria back to DC

Trump admin loosens regulations on state-licensed medical marijuana

Key House committee schedules hearing with embattled ActBlue CEO: ‘Needs to come clean’

Gallego investigated for ‘sexual slur’ in 2013, officials ‘unable to corroborate’

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.”