The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn the emergency use authorization for two controversial coronavirus treatment drugs promoted by President Trump because of serious safety issues.
The agency said recent clinical trial failures mean chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may not be effective at treating COVID-19 or preventing it in people who have been exposed, and that their potential benefits do not outweigh the risks.
Doctors have warned that the drugs can cause serious heart problems, but the FDA had previously allowed their use for hospitalized patients and during clinical trials.
Trump spent weeks promoting the drugs as a potential miracle treatment for COVID-19, despite scant evidence. The FDA then issued the emergency use authorization in March. Critics accused the agency of caving to pressure from the administration, which the FDA has denied.
In April, roughly a month after issuing the emergency authorization, the agency warned against using hydroxychloroquine outside of hospitals and clinical trials because of the risk of potentially fatal cardiac problems.
Last month, Trump said he had been taking hydroxychloroquine, in combination with zinc, as a way to prevent getting COVID-19 after a White House aide was diagnosed with the disease. He said he felt fine after finishing the regimine, and even said he would take the drugs again if he was ever exposed to coronavirus.
“I think it gives you an additional level of safety,” Trump said at the time, downplaying the warnings that the drug can cause significant heart problems. He called research
Trump's promotion of the drugs has led to shortages for people that need it for other conditions. Hydroxychloroquine, which was initially approved as an anti-malaria drug, is also used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
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