Source: Detroit Metro Times
Detroit headed up the first large-scale study of the drug as a potential preventive measure against COVID-19 at Henry Ford Health System. However, in recent weeks the drug has seen a string of bad publicity from main stream media using only bad study examples as penultimate proof, whilst ignoring dozens of studies showing efficacy. On Monday, much to the surprise of the dozens of postive HCQ trials doctors and scientists, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients, based on a press release from a British trial and several other studies that are not peer reviewed.
See: FDA ENABLES use of HCQ in a weird round about win – by revoking EUA. Says they never restricted it.
Henry Ford Health System, however, says the FDA’s new reversal does not impact its study, which is is expected to wrap up in July.
The FDA’s decision bars the use of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and a similar drug called chloroquine phosphate from the Strategic National Stockpile for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. But the use of the drug as a prophylaxis, or preventive measure, is not impacted by the FDA decision.
“The ongoing WHIP COVID-19 study is an FDA-approved study looking at hydroxychloroquine as a potential preventative medication for healthy, pre-screened individuals,” Dr. Steven Kalkanis, chief executive officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group, told Metro Times in a statement on Monday.
“It is not affected by the FDA’s decision today, and there is no evidence that the use of hydroxychloroquine as a potential prophylaxis presents a health risk in that setting.”
Dr. Steven Kalkanis, chief executive officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group
Kalkanis says hydroxychloroquine has been used as a treatment in hospitalized patients, which falls under the FDA’s Monday directive. The early results of a retrospective study looking at the drug as a treatment look promising, but the results are not final and still pending peer review.
“We have analyzed our data and have seen a significantly improved outcome in a group of COVID-19 patients who received hydroxychloroquine,” he said.
Dr. Steven Kalkanis, chief executive officer of the Henry Ford Medical Group
In response to the FDA decision, Henry Ford Health System suspended the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment outside of clinical trials.
“The safety and wellbeing of our patients remains our top priority and we will continue to monitor all available data regarding safety and outcomes and adjust accordingly,” Kalkanis said.
Another study at University of Michigan is also still moving forward.
On Tuesday, officials announced potential in another drug. Scientists at the University of Oxford, the same University that Press released that hydroxychloroquine was no good when administered in potentially lethal doses, gave another press release that said a steroid called dexamethasone was found to reduce the number of deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Immediately tabloids around the globe have embraced this press release that has no scientific study data released at this stage.
Related:
Study: Pre exposure Hydroxychloroquine use reduces COVID19 risk in healthcare workers
Indonesia Claims Five Drug Combos, including HCQ, Reduce Novel Coronavirus
Egypt reveals results of hydroxychloroquine for people with coronavirus
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