President Donald Trump says the Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency-use authorization for convalescent plasma to help patients diagnosed with the coronavirus.
In a press conference on Sunday night, Trump said, “The FDA has issued an emergency-use authorization — and that’s such a powerful term emergency-use authorization — for a treatment known as convalescent plasma.”
“This is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection,” he added.
He said the treatment has had “incredible rate success,” and the new emergency-use authorization will “dramatically expand access to this treatment.”
Watch the video below:
JUST IN: President Trump announces FDA's authorization of COVID-19 plasma treatment https://t.co/unOyNteLA5 pic.twitter.com/hfqNH4pRnV
— The Hill (@thehill) August 23, 2020
The president also called on Americans who recovered from the virus to donate plasma to help patients diagnosed with the virus, “I once again urge all Americans who have recovered from the virus to go to http://Coronavirus.gov, and sign up, and donate plasma today, please.”
Experts say the treatment is safe and has shown success after it has been used on 70,000 patients.
However, they say it may not necessarily be a game-changer.
The announcement comes days after Trump lashed out at the FDA and accused officials at that agency of intentionally trying to slow down the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
In a tweet on Friday morning, the president said, “The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics.”
“Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!” he added.
The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was asked if Trump really believes officials are trying to slow-walk vaccine development.
“We want to wear a belt and suspenders the way some of these bureaucrats want to look at it. They want to do things the way they’ve always done it. This president is about cutting red tape, that’s what the tweet was all about,” he responded.
Additionally, he said there would be another announcement later in the day to make sure that FDA officials “feel the heat.”
And later in the day, Trump announced he would share “very good news” at a press conference.
