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President Trump on Saturday accused the Food and Drug Administration’s “deep state” of making it difficult for drug companies to test coronavirus treatments – and suggested the agency try to delay them until election day .
“The deep state, or whoever it is, in the FDA makes it very difficult for drug companies to get vaccines and therapeutics tested,” he tweeted. “Obviously, they hope to delay the response after November 3. Must focus on speed and save lives! “
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He also tagged FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in the tweet. Trump then re-tweeted an article on Twitter’s June Moments that reported on the FDA’s decision to revoke the emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine – a drug Trump has promoted as a “game changer. “in the pandemic.
“Many doctors and studies do not agree with this!” he said.
Trump has repeatedly urged agencies to move forward with experimental treatments as part of efforts to get past the virus and reopen the country. But some members of these agencies and other federal officials have been more cautious.
Trump’s tweet appears to be partially in response to an FDA decision to halt the planned emergency use authorization for blood plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 patients.
The FDA planned last week to allow emergency use of blood plasma. But the New York Times reported that the authorization is now on hold after experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, said the evidence to support the decision was not strong enough.
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The FDA often approves emergency use authorizations during public health emergencies when there are no other adequate and available alternative treatments.
In May, Trump announced that the FDA had cleared the emergency use of remdesivir, an investigational antiviral drug from Gilead Science, after initial results from a clinical study indicated the drug was helping speed recovery from the coronavirus. . But he also revoked the authorization of hydroxychloroquine in June.
Trump hailed plasma as a “beautiful ingredient” that can be used to improve the conditions of those suffering from the virus.
H. Clifford Lane, clinical director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Times clearance was pending pending further evidence but may be granted in the near future .
“The three of us are pretty aligned with the importance of robust data through randomized controlled trials, and a pandemic doesn’t change that,” Dr Lane said, referring to himself, Fauci and to Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes. of health.
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Trump had a similar response when asked during a White House press briefing on Wednesday about stopping the authorization.
“Well I hear great things about [plasma]… that’s all I can tell you. And that could be a political decision, because there are a lot of people out there who don’t want to rush things because they want to do it after November 3rd. And you’ve heard that one before, ”he says.
Kayla Rivas of Fox News contributed to this report.
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