Chloroquine ‘Approval’ For COVID-19 And The US FDA’s New Reality

 
• By Michael McCaughan

Asking whether FDA’s decision to allow emergency use of two old anti-malarial drugs was ‘political’ misses the point. The issue already was political, and FDA’s action may well be the best way to keep some measure of federal control on supplies of a drug with important other uses.

Los Angeles, CA / USA - March 25, 2020: A White House mailer from March 16 reads: “SLOW THE SPREAD. PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES FOR AMERICA," with tips for avoiding COVID-19 on the back.

Did the US Food & Drug Administration err in granting an Emergency Use Authorization for the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for use against COVID-19?

The answer to that question may go a long way in determining what, if any, impact on the outbreak has on the agency’s reputation and credibility in the long term.

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