Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Move On' From Hydroxychloroquine, Giroir Urges; New Drug RLF-100 Shows Dramatic Results
Politico: Trump Health Official: Time To ‘Move On’ From Hydroxychloroquine
A top official in the Trump administration's Covid-19 response effort said Sunday there is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for the virus, despite President Donald Trump's continued promotion of the anti-malaria drug. In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," administration testing czar Brett Giroir said he could not recommend hydroxychloroquine because trials "do not show any benefit." (Warmbrodt, 8/2)
The Hill: White House Testing Czar: 'I Can't Recommend' Hydroxychloroquine
White House coronavirus testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir said Sunday that he “can't recommend” hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 in an apparent contradiction of President Trump’s support of the drug. Giroir, a Health and Human Services (HHS) assistant secretary, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that hydroxychloroquine “looked very promising” at first, but five studies have now found that the anti-malarial drug does not help COVID-19 patients. (Coleman, 8/2)
In news on other COVID treatments —
Reuters: Relief, NeuroRx Say Emergency Treatment With RLF-100 Helps Critically Ill Covid Patients
Critically ill COVID-19 patients recovered rapidly from respiratory failure after three days of treatment with RLF-100, a therapy granted fast-track designation in the United States, two drug companies said on Sunday. Geneva-based Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG RFLB.S has a patent for RLF-100, or aviptadil, a synthetic form of a natural peptide that protects the lung. U.S.-Israeli NeuroRx Inc partnered with Relief to develop the drug in the United States. (8/2)
Stat: CytoDyn CEO Claims Covid-19 Drug Success, But Details Suggest It Failed
CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan used a conference call on Thursday evening to claim success with the company’s experimental Covid-19 drug — but his description of the clinical data, if true, suggests the drug didn’t meet the study’s primary goal. In disjointed comments to investors, Pourhassan insisted that leronlimab delivered “positive efficacy results” in the Covid-19 study. CytoDyn intended to quickly submit the “strong results” to the Food and Drug Administration and expected to win approval for leronlimab as a new treatment for Covid-19, he added. (Feuerstein, 7/31)
And other pharmaceutical news —
Reuters: Exclusive: Prescription Drug Marketplace GoodRx Files For IPO - Sources
U.S. online prescription drug price marketplace GoodRx Inc has submitted paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter. GoodRx, which was valued at $2.8 billion in 2018 when private equity firm Silver Lake invested in the company, is in the process of hiring advisers for the IPO, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the preparations are confidential. (Franklin and Sen, 8/2)
Stat: In A Blow To Catalyst, Judge Recommends Tossing Its Lawsuit Against FDA
A federal court judge recommended tossing a lawsuit filed by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (CPRX) that accused the Food and Drug Administration of violating the law when it approved a similar medicine by a small, family-run rival company. The move is a blow to Catalyst in its unusual battle with the agency, which has raised thorny questions about regulatory standards and the vagaries of orphan drug designations, while also playing into the heated national debate over the rising cost of prescription medicines. (Silverman, 7/31)
