US FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Malaria Drug to Treat COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of chloroquine, a malaria treatment drug, and hydroxychloroquine, a similar drug, for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to Bloomberg News on the 29th (local time), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in a statement that the FDA has granted emergency use authorization for these two drugs.

Along with this, the HHS stated that it received 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine from Sandoz, a subsidiary of the multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis.

The department explained, “The FDA determined that emergency use authorization can be granted when there are no alternatives for a specific drug and the known potential benefits of the drug outweigh the potential risks.”