DeSantis says hydroxychloroquine coming to state as CDC changes guidance on drug

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA/CNN Newsource) – The Centers for Disease Control has updated its website to remove dosage guidance on malaria and autoimmune disease drug hydroxychloroquine.

It’s a drug touted by President Donald Trump and other state officials as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

Governor Ron DeSantis said during a press conference on Tuesday that more hydroxychloroquine is arriving to the state.

He said he worked with one pharmaceutical company to get doses of the drug to southern Florida, the area hit hardest in the state by the virus.

A second shipment of hydroxychloroquine, coming from another company, should arrive in the state on Thursday.

“We got a million doses coming to Tallahassee… That will immediately be sent out to hospitals throughout the state of Florida,” Gov. DeSantis said.

However, the updated CDC guidance for hydroxychloroquine is shorter and no longer gives dosage information, details or studies about the drug.

The FDA has not approved the drug to treat coronavirus, however it has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

That means hydroxychloroquine can be used in hospitalized patients “for whom a clinical trial is not available, or participation is not feasible.”

According to the FDA:

“Under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), the FDA Commissioner may allow unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions caused by CBRN threat agents when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.”

Experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have warned the administration that the drug is unproven and that there are dangers in promoting it before data backs up its efficacy.