A Necessary Waiting Game

On March 28, the Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of the antimalarial drugs chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate for hospitalized Covid-19 patients. This decision was partly based on early, but limited, data on their effectiveness. The FDA, however, stipulated that emergency use is authorized only when clinical trials aren't available or participation isn't feasible. This stipulation highlights the importance of properly conducting well-designed clinical trials without interference. These trials demonstrate the safety of a novel therapy and then, through a randomized controlled trial (RCT), can prove that a novel therapy works. This reflects the standard process of authorization for emergency use of unapproved therapies.