Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie fired back at critics of his agency's use of a controversial drug touted by Pres. Trump to treat COVID-19 patients in an interview with ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz.
A cursory review of the drug's use at VA hospitals earlier this year found no positive effects on COVID-19 patients. Though the review indicated a possible connection between hydroxychloroquine and higher mortality rates, the paper was inconclusive and not a peer-reviewed scientific study.
Wilkie pointed to the lack of peer review and said the paper's calling the drug's efficacy and safety as a coronavirus treatment into question were not clinical studies. He added that hydroxychloroquine was prescribed by doctors in consultation with families, often for patients who were out of options. President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie speaks on protecting Americas seniors from the COVID-19 pandemic in the East Room of the White House, April 30, 2020. President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie speaks on protecting Americas seniors from the COVID-19 pandemic in the East Room of the White House, April 30, 2020."Many of those studies that you refer to don't look at the underlying medical conditions. In our VA, when we use this we use it with veterans who are -- in many cases -- in the last hours of life, but we also use them under FDA regimen." Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. The FDA has temporarily approved the use of hydroxychloroquine -- usually prescribed for malaria, lupus and certain types of arthritis -- allowing doctors to use the drug on some COVID-19 patients. The agency urges"close patient supervision" because side effects include deadly heart rhythm problems. Clinical trials of the drug's effectiveness as a coronavirus treatment are ongoing and remain inconclusive.
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