Possible treatment for Covid-19

[azblackbird]

Here’s a good read for anybody who’s keeping up with possible treatment or vaccination for this novel virus.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03...as-been-found-in-a-common-anti-malarial-drug/

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

French study here https://drive.google.com/file/d/186Bel9RqfsmEx55FDum4xY_IlWSHnGbj/view.

Small group of patients but promising.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

There is enough evidence that hydroxychloroquine is safe and reasonably effective for this that Trump should order pharma to mass production of it immediately. It is cheap enough to make that even if we get a little farther in the research and find out that we shouldn't use it for this, we can throw it out. We need to have it on-hand asap to distribute rather than wait weeks to spool up production.

I am pretty sure that if this can get past the FDA slowing it down the free market will take care if it being manufactured as rapidly as possible. Hope Trump will helps clear the way.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

There is nothing stopping the free market from doing it right now purely on speculation of use. It is completely legal for the drug companies to make as much of this as they want right now. There is no incentive for them to do it unless the government says they will pay for it. It is a cheap drug to make, and sells cheap, there isn't much profit in it. US pharma's record on doing things without a solid profit motive isn't really strong.

It has only recently, like last few days, had fair evidence of efficacy. If the FDA has cleared it, I don’t imagine there will be a shortage. Either for profit or charity organizations will likely be producing as much as needed.

Bear in mind though that at least the anti-malarials are fairly nasty drugs with a lot of side effects. People probably won’t be popping these just because they may have been exposed.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Trump announced that the FDA has cleared the way immediately for prescription for use.

Appears there may some delay “While Trump said that choloroquine would be available for COVID-19 treatment "immediately," the MSNBC and Bloomberg reports that the FDA has said the drugs need further testing before they are approved.”