• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

USA

FDA chief apologises for overstating benefits of plasma on Covid-19

FDA chief apologises for overstating benefits of plasma on Covid-19
Newsexplored
25th August 2020
5
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
3
An American man donates blood plasma after recovering from Covid-19 - file picImage copyright Reuters
Image caption During the announcement, President Trump called on Americans to donate blood plasma

The top doctor at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has apologised for overstating the benefits of plasma for treating Covid-19 patients.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn came under fire after his agency on Sunday gave emergency authorisation to use convalescent plasma on Covid patients.

Echoing President Donald Trump, Mr Hahn touted the treatment as life-saving.

Scientists quickly questioned the data provided by Mr Hahn, who suggested plasma could reduce deaths by 35%.

This claim exaggerated preliminary findings from a clinic at the Mayo Clinic.

“I personally could have done a better job and should have done a better job at that press conference explaining what the data show regarding convalescent plasma,” Mr Hahn told CBS News on Tuesday.

But Mr Hahn maintained that the decision to authorise the treatment for emergency use was made by FDA career scientists, “based upon sound science and data”.

Mr Hahn’s remarks come as he fields criticism for appearing to play politics, backing the Trump administration amid its push for a breakthrough treatment of Covid-19 in the run-up to the presidential election on 3 November.

Announcing the emergency use of blood plasma, Mr Trump heralded the “historic” step, saying the treatment would save “countless” lives.

  • Does the US have the world’s worst coronavirus death rate?
  • How close are we to finding a treatment to coronavirus?

The announcement came a day after Mr Trump accused the FDA of impeding the rollout of vaccines and therapeutics for political reasons.

More than 177,000 people have died from coronavirus since the start of the outbreak in the US, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 5.8 million cases have also been confirmed nationwide. The country has had more confirmed cases and deaths than anywhere else in the world.

data-ad-format="auto">

Does plasma treatment work?

The FDA had already approved the use of plasma transfusions on coronavirus patients under certain conditions.

It has now given the treatment “emergency use authorisation”, rather than full approval, saying that early research suggests blood plasma can decrease mortality and improve patient health if it is administered within the first three days of admittance to hospital. However, more trials are needed to prove its effectiveness.

The agency said it had concluded it was safe after reviewing the results of 20,000 patients who had received the treatment so far.

The FDA said people under the age of 80 who were not on a respirator and received plasma containing high levels of antibodies had a 35% better survival rate a month after the treatment than those who had received plasma with a low level of antibodies. But the agency did not include a comparison group of untreated patients, meaning no conclusions can be drawn about absolute survival rates.


Several experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, have expressed reservations about the robustness of studies so far. And speaking to the New York Times on Monday, one of the Mayo Clinic study’s main authors, Dr Arturo Casadevall, said he did not know where the 35% figure had come from.

Balance of risks

Many countries are using plasma as a coronavirus therapy, but it’s not yet clear how effective the treatment is.

The decision by the US FDA to grant emergency use is a balance of risks. It says, based on the evidence so far, convalescent plasma may lessen the severity or shorten the length of Covid-19 illness.

Certainly, sick coronavirus patients whose own immune systems are struggling to fight off the pandemic virus might get protection from a transfusion of antibody-rich plasma from someone who has successfully recovered from Covid-19.

Convalescent plasma has been used to successfully treat other diseases, including Ebola.

It is generally well-tolerated, but unwanted effects can occur, including harmful allergic reactions.

A recent UK analysis said it remained “very uncertain” whether plasma was beneficial for people admitted to hospital with Covid-19.

Trials are ongoing to understand precisely which patients might benefit and by how much.

Experts want “gold standard” evidence to inform treatment decisions and gathering that data will take time.

World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Monday that using convalescent plasma was “still an experimental treatment”.

They added that the risks and side effects associated with it, ranging from mild to severe, must be considered.

The WHO has previously said that “Covid-19 convalescent plasma can be made available on an experimental basis through local production provided that ethical and safety criteria are met for its preparation and use”.

What’s the latest on vaccines?

In a tweet on Saturday, President Trump said “the deep state, or whoever, at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics.

“Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after [the US presidential election],” he added.

Earlier this year, US regulators gave emergency authorisation to Gilead Science Inc’s remdesivir as a therapeutic treatment for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a report by the Financial Times suggests the White House is considering granting emergency authorisation for a vaccine being developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, ahead of the US presidential election on 3 November.

The White House has not commented on the story, but a spokesperson for AstraZeneca told Reuters that efficacy results for its trials were not expected until later this year.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemsapologisesbenefitschiefcovidoverstatingplasma
USA
25th August 2020
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemsapologisesbenefitschiefcovidoverstatingplasma

More in USA

  • Read More
    The homeless drug addict who became a history professor

    Views:3 By Sarah McDermottBBC World Service image captionJesse Thistle, wearing a beaded thistle around his neck Jesse...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Kamala Harris: What the vice-president did on her first day

    Views:3 By Holly HonderichBBC News, Washington image copyrightAFP via Getty Images image captionKamala Harris spent her first...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Biden inauguration: New president to be sworn in amid Trump snub

    Views:3 image copyrightAFP image captionJoe Biden and his wife Jill attended a church service ahead of the...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Biden inauguration: Democrat to be sworn in as Trump leaves office

    Views:3 image copyrightGetty Images image captionSecurity is tight around the US Capitol where the inauguration ceremony will...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Biden inauguration rehearsal paused amid US Capitol lockdown

    Views:3 image copyrightEPA image captionSecurity is tight in Washington DC The Capitol complex in Washington DC was...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Migrant caravan: Guatemala blocks thousands bound for US

    Views:3 media captionWATCH: Security forces block the migrants’ path, beating them back with truncheons and tear gas...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Trump impeachment: When will he go on trial in the Senate?

    Views:3 image copyrightWhite House via Twitter image captionPresident Trump returned to Twitter to post the address Donald...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Joe Biden unveils $1.9tn US economic relief package

    Views:3 media captionBiden: ‘I promise we will not forget you’ President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9tn...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    How much can Joe Biden get done on the US economy?

    Views:3 By Natalie ShermanBusiness reporter, New York image copyrightReuters The social and economic devastation from the coronavirus...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Could Liz Cheney spark a revolt?

    Views:3 image copyrightGetty Images image captionDemocrats, including Jamie Raskin (centre), are planning to impeach President Donald Trump...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Trump National stripped of 2022 US PGA Championship

    Views:3 Trump National hosted the 2017 US Women’s Open Trump National in Bedminster has been stripped of...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
  • Read More
    Twitter permanently suspends Trump’s account

    Views:3 Published duration1 hour ago shareShare Share page linkCopy link About sharing Related Topics US Capitol riots...

    Newsexplored 25th August 2020
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Australian Open: Heather Watson among 47 players to quarantine in Melbourne after Covid cases on flights
    Sports16th January 2021
  • The Papers: ‘Fortress Britain’ and ‘modern miracle workers’
    UK15th January 2021
  • Fashion lookahead: Eight major 2021 looks from tie-dye to pastels
    Entertainment30th December 2020
  • Fifa 21 and Frozen 2 top digital sales of 2020
    Tech8th January 2021
  • The homeless drug addict who became a history professor
    USA24th January 2021
  • Kamala Harris: What the vice-president did on her first day
    USA21st January 2021
  • Biden inauguration: New president to be sworn in amid Trump snub
    USA20th January 2021
  • Biden inauguration: Democrat to be sworn in as Trump leaves office
    USA20th January 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Gulf storms: Laura upgraded to hurricane as it heads towards US
American Airlines cuts 19,000 jobs amid travel slump
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok