Teva and Mylan to jumpstart production of old malaria drug to fight the novel coronavirus
Two manufacturers of a decades-old malaria drug that some research has suggested may be useful in combating the novel coronavirus announced steps to provide millions of tablets over the next few weeks after the Trump administration singled out the medicine for expedited testing and broader use.
Mylan (MYL) and Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) plan to jumpstart production of hydroxychloroquine, which is also approved for treating lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The medicine has been prescribed sparingly, mostly to travelers, and was in short supply this month, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which counted a handful of manufacturers that were not shipping tablets.
