Page 15 - HOH

A26 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 25 april 2020
U.S. states build stockpiles of malaria drug touted by Trump

By BRADY McCOMBS and Ohio also received a large Klein said it's understand- ment said earlier this week it warning against using the
LINDSAY WHITEHURST donation from a local com- able that government planned to spend $8 million drug, or hoarding it.
Associated Press pany. and health officials looked more to buy 200,000 addi- "We were seeing a flood of
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — State Several states including into hydroxychloroquine tional treatments from the inappropriate prescribing
and local governments New York, Connecticut, Or- — which is approved for company, but said Thurs- and hoarding, quite frank-
across the United States ly," Health Commissioner
have obtained more than Lisa Piercey told reporters.
30 million doses of a malar- Kansas health director Dr.
ia drug touted by President Lee Norman said the state
Trump to treat patients with has no intention of buying
the new coronavirus, de- the drug because there's
spite warnings from doc- not enough evidence it
tors that more research is helps treat COVID-19.
needed. Most states aren't paying
At least 22 states and Wash- for the drug, and it's not
ington, D.C. secured ship- clear why Utah didn't get it
ments of the drug, hydroxy- from the federal reserve or
chloroquine, according to a donation from a business
information compiled from like Amneal Pharmaceu-
state and federal officials tical. News releases from
by The Associated Press. state governments show
Sixteen of those states were the New Jersey-based
were won by Trump in 2016, company has sent millions
although five of them in- of doses of the drug free
cluding North Carolina and of cost to states, including
Louisiana are now led by 2 million to New York and 1
Democratic governors. million to Texas.
Supporters say having a sup- A company spokesperson
ply on hand makes sense in This Monday, April 6, 2020, file photo shows an arrangement of Hydroxychloroquine pills in Las declined to provide a list of
case the drug is shown to Vegas. donations or answer other
be effective against the Associated Press. questions from The Associ-
pandemic that's devas- ated Press
tated the global economy egon, Louisiana, North Car- treating malaria, rheuma- day after media inquiries Pharmaceutical com-
and killed nearly 200,000 olina and Texas received toid arthritis and lupus — as about the deal that those panies can often manu-
people worldwide, and to donations of the medica- a possible remedy during a plans are on hold as the facture pills they already
ensure a steady supply for tion from a private com- frightening pandemic, but state researches FDA re- make fairly cheaply and
people who need it for oth- pany based in New Jersey the time and energy has quirements for compound- the donations may have
er conditions like lupus. called Amneal Pharma- been misspent. The poten- ing and distribution of the been done to earn good
But health experts worry ceutical. Florida was given tial side effects are worri- drugs. publicity while setting it up
that having the drug eas- 1 million doses from Israeli some, especially because South Dakota, with a popu- to make future sales if hy-
ily available at a time of company Teva Pharma- many coronavirus patients lation of 885,000 people, droxychloroquine ends up
heightened public fear ceutical. already have underlying received 1.2 million doses being a reliable treatment
could make it easier to And the Federal Emergen- health conditions, he said. from the federal govern- for the virus, Klein said.
misuse it. The U.S. Food cy Management Agency "The states and the federal ment and is using the drug Controversy has swirled
and Drug Administration has sent 19 million doses government are reacting in for a trial as well as doctor- around the drug since
on Friday warned doctors of hydroxychloroquine to light of that fear but it's not approved prescriptions Trump started promoting
against prescribing the 14 cities including Wash- a rational response," Klein for COVID-19 positive pa- it from the podium in the
drug, hydroxychloroquine, ington, D.C., Philadelphia said. tients. South Dakota Gov. White House briefing room
for treating the new coro- and Baltimore from the Doctors can already pre- Kristi Noem, a Republican on March 19.
navirus outside of hospi- federal government's na- scribe the malaria drug to and Trump ally, said ear- He mentioned the drug in
tals or research settings, tional stockpile, a source patients with COVID-19, a lier this month she pushed briefings through April 14,
because of reports of seri- that also provided South practice known as off-la- the White House to pro- and the White House distrib-
ous side effects, including Dakota and California with bel prescribing, and many vide enough hydroxychlo- uted press releases praising
dangerous irregular heart supplies. The U.S. govern- do. Medical and pharma- roquine to give it to every Trump's efforts to stockpile it
rhythms, and death among ment received a donation cy groups have warned hospitalized person, others for use in areas of the coun-
patients. of 30 million doses from against prescribing it for who are vulnerable to the try hard-hit by the virus. But
It's the latest admonition Swiss drugmaker Novartis preventative purposes. The coronavirus and "front line" for the past week, as stud-
against the drug that Trump on March 29 to build up the FDA has allowed it into the health care workers. As ies have shown mixed or
mentioned 17 times in vari- stockpile, which does not national stockpile, but only of Tuesday, 200 people in even harmful results, Trump
ous public appearances, normally stock the drug. for narrowly defined pur- South Dakota were being has gone silent on the drug.
touting its potential despite "If he (Trump) hadn't ampli- poses as studies continue. treated with the drug, ac- Asked about it Thursday,
his own health advisors tell- fied the early and inappro- Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, cording to Sanford Health. Trump said he hadn't heard
ing him it is unproven. priate enthusiasm for the a Republican, acknowl- Many states, however, of the a study done at U.S.
Oklahoma spent $2 million drug, I doubt if the states edged that the drug is "not have opted to steer clear veterans hospitals with pre-
to buy the drugs and Utah would have even been without controversy," but over concerns about side liminary results that showed
and Ohio have spent hun- aware of it," said Dr. Ken- said an $800,000 purchase effects and lingering ques- no benefit, and rejected
dreds of thousands on pur- neth B. Klein, a consultant from a local company was tions about the effective- the notion he had stopped
chases. The rest of the cities from outside of Seattle who part of the state's effort to ness. At least one of those promoting hydroxychloro-
and states have received has spent the last three make rational decisions states is led by a Republi- quine as a cure.
free shipments from drug decades working for drug based on "good science can governor, Tennessee, "I haven't at all. I haven't at
companies or the U.S. gov- companies to design and and good data." where the state's Depart- all," Trump said. "We'll see
ernment in the last month. evaluate their clinical trials. The Utah health depart- ment of Health sent a letter what happens." q