Straight talk on the FDA’s tumultuous weekend — and new questions about its independence
This weekend, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency clearance to convalescent plasma, a treatment in which blood from patients who recovered from Covid-19 is used to treat those who had the disease. The decision is controversial, as are the circumstances around it. STAT senior writers Matthew Herper and Adam Feuerstein sat down together to gather their thoughts. Here is their conversation.
Matt Herper: So for those just back from a tour of Jupiter’s moons, last night the FDA granted emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma to treat patients with Covid-19. Trump characterized the decision as a major breakthrough. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who joined him at a news conference to announce the decision, backed him up — but he also misspoke, claiming that giving plasma would help 35 out of 100 people treated.
