President Trump announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is immediately making experimental drugs — including those used for treating malaria — available as part of the ongoing effort to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.
Trump announced at a White House press briefing that chloroquine, a drug designed for use in malaria, has been FDA approved and will be made available immediately.
“I have directed the FDA to eliminate rules and bureaucracy so work can proceed rapidly, quickly and fast,” he said. “We have to remove every barrier.”
Addressing potential safety concerns, Trump noted that it had been used previously in treating malaria, “so we know if things don’t go as planned, it’s not going to kill anybody.”
He also said another drug, remdesivir, would be made available to Americans as well. He said it would remain to be seen whether it would help combat the crisis.
“I think it could be a game-changer, and maybe not,” he said.
It’s the latest aggressive move by the administration as it seeks to stop both the spread of the virus, and also curb the economic havoc caused by the closing of much of American daily life as businesses and schools have shuttered to stop infections. Trump described a “relentless effort to defeat the Chinese virus.”
Thursday’s press conference comes a day after he announced he was invoking the Defense Production Act, which would streamline production of medical supplies to help the country battle the coronavirus pandemic and require businesses to sign contracts or fulfill orders deemed necessary for national defense.
Meanwhile, the administration has been working with Congress on a nearly $1 trillion stimulus package to reinvigorate the U.S. economy and to provide relief to businesses and workers who have been hit hardest by the crisis.
Trump on Wednesday signed the second coronavirus relief bill into law that provides paid sick leave, unemployment help and free testing to Americans.
He also announced that the Housing Department is suspending all foreclosures and evictions until the end of April. Earlier in the day, he had announced that the U.S. and Canada had agreed to temporarily close their shared border to non-essential traffic.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the taskforce, announced that Health and Human Services are suspending a regulation that prevents medical professionals from practicing medicine across state lines. He also called on the nation to postpone all elective medical procedures.
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.
