Mehmet Oz, also known as Dr. Oz, repeatedly sent emails to top-level Trump administration officials, urging them to use hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.
Emails from the celebrity doctor were revealed for the first time in a report on the coronaviruses crisis. The report, titled " A 'Knife Fight' with the FDA,' sheds light on how the Trump administration tried to undermine, pressure, and bully the FDA during the swine flu epidemic.
The FDA was pressured by the White House to change safety standards so that the COVID-19 vaccine could be released before the election. It was revealed that top Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro and advisor Steven Hatfill tried to get the FDA to support the use of a discredited drug. According to Hatfill, the White House had a "knife fight scheduled with the FDA" over Hydroxychloroquine.
The FDA didn't authorize vaccines before the election and didn't re-authorize Hydroxychloroquine after it was clear it wasn't effective. The report concluded that the administration's actions caused lasting damage to the FDA.
The report states that senior Trump Administration officials undermined public health experts because they believed doing so would benefit the former president politically. The assaults on our nation's public health institutions undermined the nation's response to the coronaviruses.
AdvertisementDr. Oz, who was also eager to promote the unproven treatment, was the one who spearheaded efforts and "work from the shadows" to champion the junk remedy.
Oz was quick to jump on the hydroxychloroquine train. After the small, dubious French study suggested that hydroxychloroquine was 100 percent effective at treating COVID-19, Oz sent emails to the White House and Trump's son- in- law.
Oz sent a series of emails complaining about a "coronaviruses drug shortage" and prodding her to help expand access to hydroxychloroquine. The drug had confirmed clinical benefits, he claimed. Oz said that Trump should push academic centers to move more quickly on Hydroxychloroquine trials. What do you think should be done to speed it up?
Oz mentioned that he was going to run a clinical trial with his own money. The New York Post reported earlier this year that a representative for Oz said he spent nearly $9,000 on hydroxychloroquine tablets in 2020. According to reports, he was prepared to spend $250,000 on a clinical trial.
Oz sent another email about the French study. The message was forwarded to the FDA Commissioner with a note. The FDA gave an emergency use authorization for chloroquine and chloroquine.
The FDA reversed the decision in June and sent Navarro and Hatfill on an unsuccessful mission to get hydroxychloroquine reauthorized. Numerous studies have shown that the drug is not effective for treating COVID-19 patients.
The hydroxychloroquine clinical trial idea was scrapped by Oz, who is now running as a Republican senator for Pennsylvania.
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