Gotta love the American Pharmacists Association pushed newsblurb title...
With minimal evidence, Trump asks FDA to study malaria drugs for coronavirus
New York Times (03/19/20) Grady, Denise; Thomas, Katie
Physicians worldwide have been administering a variety of medicines to find something to help COVID-19 patients, including two malaria drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Physicians in China, South Korea, and France have reported these medications appear to help, although they have not gone through large clinical trials for this use yet. FDA has not approved any drugs for use in the treatment of coronavirus. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, says President Trump requested the agency to examine the use of chloroquine to fight the coronavirus, and that it was setting up a large clinical trial to evaluate the drug. Some U.S. hospitals are already using anti-malarial drugs for coronavirus patients, and laboratory studies have found that they prevent the coronavirus from invading cells, potentially helping to prevent or limit the infection. However, the drugs are not safe for people who suffer from heart arrhythmia or have an impaired liver or kidneys. The University of Minnesota is conducting a study in which people who live with a coronavirus patient are being given hydroxychloroquine to determine if it can prevent the infection. Hahn adds that FDA was allowing COVID-19 patients to use remdesivir, a not-yet-approved antiviral drug made by Gilead. Such so-called “compassionate use” programs allow patients to take unapproved, experimental drugs if they have no other options.
I would just urge everyone to remember we are in a “fog of war” situation and to not over-react instantly. Make it a point to gather more data and allow time to pass before becoming locked-into a point of view since much disinformatino will be presented as truth and even solid facts will be changing rapidly.
I have no problem with Dr. Hahn’s approach because no one wants to trigger secondary problems due to side-effects or interactions. This is what the FDA does and they’re’ not the problem as long as they expedite the pilot testing programs and compassionate use approvals as they are doing. President Trump has got this!
It is also important to collect data as we are trying these treatments so the experts will know what works and what doesn’t. That’s the main purpose for having FDA in the loop. Otherwise we’d have chaos and conflicting reports and not know what to do to achieve the best outcomes.