Posted on 03/29/2020 9:06:53 PM PDT by snarkytart
(CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
The drugs — which are used to treat malaria and other conditions — have been called game changers by President Donald Trump.
But thus far, there is little scientific evidence that chloroquine, or its closely-related analogue hydroxychloroquine, are effective in treating Covid-19.
What happened? The authorization came in a letter dated Saturday, but the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acknowledged the FDA’s action in a Sunday news release. The FDA limited the scope of its authorization to drugs supplied from the Strategic National Stockpile. The HHS announced that two pharmaceutical companies — Bayer and a division of Novartis — had donated the drugs to the stockpile.
Do the drugs work? In its statement, HHS said:
“Anecdotal reports suggest that these drugs may offer some benefit in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. “The safety profile of these drugs has only been studied for FDA approved indications, not COVID-19.”
While there’s limited evidence on the efficacy of chloroquine, or hydroxychloroquine, the FDA said the drugs’ benefits outweighed their risk. In its letter, the FDA encouraged randomized clinical trials that could assess the effectiveness of the drugs. It also noted that the known and potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Who can the drugs be used to treat? The authorization is limited to patients who are currently hospitalized and weigh at least 50kg, or about 110 pounds. Under the emergency use authorization, health care providers must contact their local or state health department to access the drugs.
oops remove mine please..duplicate
It is not.
I was challenged on the source.
Keep your up, please.
yours is under the breaking news on the side...first article.
:-)
Why limited to only the drugs from the stockpile? Won’t that delay treatment while the drugs are sent out?
Why limted to only current hospital patients. New hospital patients out of luck?
Why limited to patients weighing at least 110 pounds? Don’t want no short people round here?
It seems to me that if you test positive and showing symptoms, you should get the drug. Not wait until the patient needs hospitalization.
Agreed. I think if you test positive you should get the drug.
Wow thanks.
Thanks mod, or Jim.
:)
Bump for FDA emergency use authorization for HCQ.
“But thus far, there is little scientific evidence that chloroquine, or its closely-related analogue hydroxychloroquine, are effective in treating Covid-19”
CNN desperate for these drugs to fail so people will keep dying and the economy crashes ...
“Why limited to only the drugs from the stockpile? Won’t that delay treatment while the drugs are sent out?”
No. there’s a nationwide shortage of these drugs right now, and these donations to the national strategic stockpile present a desperately needed massive new infusion of these drugs into the system ...
Is there a reason the entire country is not on this if it proves effective?
Worst flame war ever.
Nice to see.
To prevent people from hoarding like toilet paper.
It should be prescribed before hospitalization. I hope this will change. Maybe it’s because of the current supply. The supply is about to increase dramatically and when that happens, there’s no excuse for not prescribing it for everyone with symptoms. Then it could be prescribed for use prophylactically - like for malaria.
How many thousands have to be cured before it’s no longer “anecdotal”???
They are not without their issues - heart arrhythmias, for one.
RA patients can get AFIB with it..I think they are still doing studies.
A healthy 19 yr old who tests positive after returning from spring break should not receive it before your Grandmother in a nursing home.
Hydroxy is going to being limited supply until we ramp up production and get the pipline filled.
Here's the numbers from COVID Tracking Project (Have no idea if they're legit)
831,351 tested
692,290 neg 80% 139,061 pos 20%
19,730 hospitalized 14% of pos 2,428 deaths 1.7%
good news. looks like the lumbering behemoths of bureaucracy are slowly shaking themselves awake. as usual private labs and excellent doctors are/were working way ahead of them.
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