Teva donates millions of hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets, touted by Trump as coronavirus treatment
pharmafile | March 27, 2020 | News story | Medical Communications | Trump, coronavirus
Teva pharmaceuticals have said they will provide ten million doses of its anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which President Trump has been promoting as an effective coronavirus treatment.
Six million of these doses will be delivered to the US by 31 March. Teva Executive Vice President Brendan O’Grady said: “We are committed to helping to supply as many tablets as possible as demand for this treatment accelerates at no cost.”
However, the drug has not been successfully trailed for the treatment of coronavirus. The current evidence showing its effectiveness is from a small 36-patient study from French researchers that shows it can kill COVID-19.
Since Trump’s tweets and statements about the drug, people have been panic buying the drug sold under the brand name Plaquenil which was originally approved in 1955.
There has been some controversy around Trump promoting the drug, with critics accusing him of misinformation after an Arizona couple ingested chloroquine phosphate, used for Koi food. The husband died due to ingesting this substance, his wife said they took because they saw it being touted as a coronavirus treatment on television.
Conor Kavanagh
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