U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) on Wednesday wrote a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar urging his department to release a government stash of hydroxychloroquine so the medication can be used for its original purpose.
Jones said the stockpiling of hydroxychloroquine was “unconscionable” and added in a Friday tweet that the practice “defies science and is cruel.”
“[P]eer reviewed studies have consistently shown that hydroxychloroquine is not, I repeat not, effective in treating COVID-19,” Alabama’s junior senator wrote in the letter.
Hydroxychloroquine, often abbreviated as HCQ, has been frequently promoted by President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for patients who have come down with the coronavirus.
Jones argued that the drug has been only been approved by the FDA “to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.”
“I continue to hear from my constituents who desperately need this medication for these conditions, but cannot access their usual supply due to shortages,” he added.
Jones also referenced generally the existence of scientific studies that show HCQ has little to no effect treating COVID-19.
An example of those studies, as written about by Science Magazine, can be accessed here.
Various agencies in the Trump administration like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have stopped pursuing HCQ as a treatment after finding a lack of evidence for its effectiveness.
Jones further points out that Admiral Brett Giroir, a member of the White House Task Force on the Coronavirus, stated “We need to move on from that and talk about what is effective,” when asked about HCQ in a recent media appearance.
Trump administration officials that continue to back the drug as an early stage COVID-19 treatment, such as trade advisor Peter Navarro, point to studies such as one recently published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases that indicate some effectiveness for HCQ. Notably, that study has received criticism from some in the medical community.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
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