FDA credibility on the line with White House pressure on hydroxychloroquine
How White House pressure to authorize hydroxychloroquine could undermine confidence in FDA
Demands from President Donald Trump that FDA issue a second Emergency Use Authorization for the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 test agency chief Stephen Hahn’s commitment to public health again, and pose challenges to FDA’s credibility and reputation for making science-based decisions.
The latest drama in the hydroxychloroquine saga came Tuesday as the president made the extraordinary public call for FDA to issue a second EUA, following the release of an observational study by the Henry Ford Health System that produced data that appear to bolster Trump’s enthusiasm for the drug. Specifically, the study found that hydroxychloroquine alone and in combination with azithromycin was associated with reduction in COVID-19 associated mortality. ...