Prognosis

FDA Walks Back Claim of Big Benefit From Covid Therapy

Drugs commissioner says he misspoke about plasma’s efficacy
Past FDA commissioners criticize presentation of data

Watch: Harvard Global Health Institute Director Dr. Ashish Jha says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's confirmation that an Emergency Use Authorization was granted for the use of Covid-19 convalescent plasma for the treatment of hospitalized patients doesn't seem to be grounded in science.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Drew Armstrong and Michelle Fay Cortez

August 24, 2020 at 1:29 PM EDT

Corrected

August 25, 2020 at 10:33 PM EDT

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The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration walked back his claim that an experimental therapy had provided a dramatic benefit to Covid-19 patients, a rare reversal for an agency that has prided itself on rock-solid science and public trust.

On Sunday night at a press conference with President Donald Trump, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said that blood plasma from Covid-19 survivors given to new patients could save huge numbers of lives.

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