President Trump announced Sunday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized convalescent plasma for emergency use to treat patients sickened by the novel coronavirus.
Trump, who has been looking to announce progress in fighting the virus, touted the news as a “historic breakthrough” at a White House news conference on Sunday, saying it would “dramatically expand access to this treatment.”
Experts have expressed optimism about the treatment, but former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb called the move “incremental” earlier on Sunday, noting that convalescent plasma is already available to thousands of patients, though the new announcement might make it more widely available. The move also comes amid concerns about political pressure from Trump on the FDA and whether the agency is authorizing the treatment prematurely without adequate data about how well it works. Continue reading.