Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Widely Available Heartburn Drug Being Tested In Patients Following Some Hopeful Results In China
CNN: Famotidine: New York Hospitals Studying Heartburn Drug As Covid-19 Treatment
Hospitals in New York are giving Covid-19 patients heartburn medicine to see if it helps fight the virus, according to the doctor who initiated the trial. Preliminary results of the clinical trial of famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid, could come out in the next few weeks, said Dr. Kevin Tracey, president of Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, which runs 23 hospitals in the New York City area. So far, 187 patients have enrolled in the clinical trial, and Northwell eventually hopes to enroll 1,200, he said. (Cohen, 4/27)
ABC News: Popular Heartburn Medicine Being Studied As Treatment For Coronavirus
Since March 13, researchers at Northwell Health, a network of hospitals in New York, have been enrolling patients hospitalized with COVID-19 into their study of famotidine, which is being delivered through an IV in megadoses nine times greater than the typical over-the-counter dose. The drug is being given in combination with the much-touted antimalarial hydroxychloroquine. Researchers said some data on safety will be available "in a few weeks," but did not say when data will be available showing whether the drug combination is effective. (Kagan and Salzman, 4/26)
WBUR: FDA Warns Against Wide Use Of The Drugs Trump Hailed As 'Game Changers'
"We understand that health care professionals are looking for every possible treatment option for their patients and we want to ensure we're providing them with the appropriate information needed for them to make the best medical decisions," FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said. "While clinical trials are ongoing to determine the safety and effectiveness of these drugs for COVID-19, there are known side effects of these medications that should be considered," he added. "We encourage health care professionals making individual patient decisions closely screen and monitor those patients to help mitigate these risks." (Dwyer and Neel, 4/24)
The New York Times: Prescriptions Surged As Trump Praised Drugs In Coronavirus Fight
It was at a midday briefing last month that President Trump first used the White House telecast to promote two antimalarial drugs in the fight against the coronavirus. “I think it could be something really incredible,” Mr. Trump said on March 19, noting that while more study was needed, the two drugs had shown “very, very encouraging results” in treating the virus. By that evening, first-time prescriptions of the drugs — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — poured into retail pharmacies at more than 46 times the rate of the average weekday, according to an analysis of prescription data by The New York Times. (Gabler and Keller, 4/25)
The Associated Press: U.S. States Build Stockpiles Of Malaria Drug Touted By Trump
State and local governments across the United States have obtained about 30 million doses of a malaria drug touted by President Trump to treat patients with the coronavirus, despite warnings from doctors that more research is needed. At least 22 states and Washington, D.C., secured shipments of the drug, hydroxychloroquine, according to information compiled from state and federal officials by The Associated Press. (McCombs and Whitehurst, 4/26)
The Associated Press Fact Check: Veterans Affairs Chief Plugs Unproven Drug
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie is taking advocacy of an unproven drug for the coronavirus even farther than President Donald Trump, claiming without evidence that it’s safe and that it has been effective for young and middle-aged veterans in particular. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert warning doctors against prescribing the drug for COVID-19 outside of hospitals and research settings because of the risks of serious side effects and death. (Yen, 4/24)
The New York Times: F.T.C. Warns 10 Companies About Virus-Related Health And Business Claims
The Federal Trade Commission has warned 10 companies to stop making health claims about treating and preventing the coronavirus or pitching business opportunities amid the pandemic, the agency announced on Friday. The group of letters represent the first time the F.T.C. has issued warnings about claims of potential earnings related to the economic fallout from the pandemic. The commission and the Food and Drug Administration have previously sent warning letters about unapproved health products related to the coronavirus. (Diaz, 4/25)
