Weeks after Henry Ford Health Systems became the darling of conservative media and politicians for its research on hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment, the Food and Drug Administration turned down its request to keep using it in a clinical setting for certain patients.
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The research was contested by other authorities, including Dr. Anthony Fauci in testimony to Congress last month.
The Detroit-based health system told the Free Press this week that it sought emergency use authorization July 6 to resume treating some COVID-19 patients with the drug, which is commonly used as an anti-malarial medication and for people with autoimmune diseases like lupus.
The request came four days after Henry Ford published a controversial study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases that suggested hydroxychloroquine slashed the COVID-19 death rate in half. The peer-reviewed observational study contradicted other published reports that showed the drug doesn't help coronavirus patients and could cause heart rhythm problems in some people.
The FDA denied Henry Ford's request this week.
Researchers and doctors, including the World Health Organization, are generally backing off prescribing the drug for Covid. But President Trump and others keep touting it.
