That contract is now under scrutiny after a government whistleblower accused a senior administration official of rushing the deal through without the scientific oversight necessary for such a large federal award. And the doctors who initially promoted the Pepcid idea are locked in a battle for credit and sniping over allegations of scientific misconduct.
“And I’ve been very critical of this approach to the COVID-19 epidemic, which I’ve likened to throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. I consider trials like this one to be largely a waste of time and money when they’re very unlikely to show positive results.”The story of how an over-the-counter heartburn remedy garnered top-level government interest as a COVID-19 medicine began several months ago in eastern China. Or maybe it was in rural Virginia -- even that point is in dispute.
Callahan did not respond to requests from The AP for comment, but his account is detailed in promotional materials about a potential Pepcid trial. Peter Navarro, Trump’s top assistant for trade and manufacturing policy, said in a March 19 email that he would soon be “flooding” Kadlec’s office with contracts “and I cannot have these kind of bullshit delays at HHS.”
“By directing a member of his staff to work as an agent of both the company and the government regarding the proposal, Dr. Kadlec was inviting violations of federal procurement law,” Bright said in his complaint. Scientifically, the government had very little data on which to base a funding decision about Pepcid and COVID-19. There was no specific research on famotidine’s coronavirus-fighting potential to underpin a clinical trial involving hundreds of COVID-19 patients. Kadlec had only Callahan’s anecdotal experience with the heartburn drug in Wuhan, and Malone’s computer modeling results which indicated famotidine might work against the virus.
In late March, with so little data, the trial hit a snag at FDA, according to internal emails. The agency is responsible for approving clinical trials. A senior FDA official expressed concern over the large amount of famotidine that Northwell was proposing to give COVID patients each day. Plans for the trial would need to slow down so FDA could ensure it was safe.
The FDA roadblock lifted suddenly. Northwell agreed to restrict the duration of the IV doses to 14 days, and the FDA’s Murray wrote in an April 2 email the trial could move forward. Northwell Health spokesman Matthew Libassi described the dialogue between with the FDA as the normal back and forth when starting a new clinical trial.
rplardner JHDearen Seriously? Wtf?
rplardner JHDearen Oh my
rplardner JHDearen Pepcid😳😂😂😂covid-19 is respiratory NOT digestive DAAAAAAAAAAAAA
rplardner JHDearen Dropped pepcid for bleach?
rplardner JHDearen I mean...wouldn’t it be so 2020 if this actually worked? We would never hear the end of it and would have to listen to asinine theories for the rest of our short lives.
rplardner JHDearen Could be many such failures by the White house that Unknowable to the Americans public until...
rplardner JHDearen I'm sorry but this 'AP' story is mis-leading. This was NOT a grant from Trump Administration. These are Congressionally Allocated Funds to HHS who then pass them on to their respective subordinate agencies and bureaus. The WH simply wrote a letter to the HHS Sec. and (See 2)
rplardner JHDearen Throwing money everywhere but there isn’t enough for universal healthcare. Sure Jan.
rplardner JHDearen Incredibly stupid
rplardner JHDearen Twenty. One. Million. Of our dollars.
rplardner JHDearen Tax payers money. I feel so sorry for the next generation and generations to come. They will be paying for this.
rplardner JHDearen Tax money vaporizing before our very eyes.
rplardner JHDearen
rplardner JHDearen craziness and corruption.
AnneKepplinger rplardner JHDearen He continues to recklessly spend our tax money after bragging that he doesn’t pay taxes because he’s smart. realDonaldTrump is a liar and a thief.
EvelDick rplardner JHDearen Who from Pepcid 'donated' to his 'campaign fund' I wonder
rplardner JHDearen When I was a kid I pretended smarties were medicine that gave me super powers. Maybe they should should try that too.
rplardner JHDearen ahhhh, this gives me heartburn!
rplardner JHDearen Pepsid IV
rplardner JHDearen I only need $1M to study Auditory Reflex as a COVID-19 treatment. Results guaranteed😎
rplardner JHDearen I heard the trial stalled because the participants just couldn't stomach it anymore.
rplardner JHDearen My head hurts from hitting it agaisnt the wall
rplardner JHDearen So stupid
rplardner JHDearen Just 1 more stupid idea from the idiot.
rplardner JHDearen It's as though they open up the PDR and just pick a random drug to make into the miracle cure after getting millions of tax dollars.
rplardner JHDearen Can I get a few million $$ to research whether slapping dumbasses in the face solves stupidity?
rplardner JHDearen The key point: Meantime, the trial itself is on pause due to a shortage of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in New York, delaying it indefinitely. A vaccine or effective treatment could be available before the study is complete.
rplardner JHDearen While thousands upon thousands of people don’t have enough money to buy food for their children ... and little hope of the CorruptAndComplicitGOP taking any action Yep, let’s give this money to see if an indigestion remedy can halt a virus that’s stifling the world COVIDIOTS
rplardner JHDearen Epic deadpan delivery: 'That trial has now stalled.'
rplardner JHDearen Tums is obviously the real cure.
rplardner JHDearen More Anti-Trump stuff
rplardner JHDearen How much of a kick is he getting?
rplardner JHDearen Omg
rplardner JHDearen Just fuck up. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
rplardner JHDearen
rplardner JHDearen Anti-science idiots should not be allowed to make decisions that affect the lives of millions of people. We must make sure we never again elect such horrificly ignorant people.
hey_leia rplardner JHDearen Dammit, they denied my bid to study Gas-X as a Covid strategy.
rplardner JHDearen Wow, so much better use of our money than sending plane loads of cash to our enemies in Iran.
rplardner JHDearen Have they tried Mentos and Diet Coke?
rplardner JHDearen How do you stomach this stuff? Excuse the pun.
rplardner JHDearen I would investigate anything to help with the virus. Anything. And the CDC and WHO have been wrong on so many counts. I applaud the Trump administration for doing this study.
rplardner JHDearen This article is stupid. We are in a pandemic which has costed the world economies trillions. America will likely spend trillions in financial aid to companies, and unemployed people. We are spending hundreds of billions in medical care, and a $21M long shot study is not worth it?
rplardner JHDearen Follow the money, kids
rplardner JHDearen I've been doing a study of beer as a preventative for Covid-19. Results are promising.
See how the coverage compares against other news outlets on Ground News DonaldTrump Coronavirus Medical Politics WashingtonDC via ground_app
rplardner JHDearen Pepcid! The antacid? Be hahahahahahaha Hahahhahahaha
TonyRomm rplardner JHDearen Well shit, why won't the government pay for my study re: watered down grape koolaide as a covid cure? Fund my research as long as they're throwing shit against the wall to see what works I think $5M should cover it
rplardner JHDearen
rplardner JHDearen Whaaaaa?
rplardner JHDearen flushing our tax dollars. we work hard for that money. this is corruption on steroids Pepcid needs to return the $21M
rplardner JHDearen Captain Clorox strikes again...
rplardner JHDearen Cherchez la grifte.
rplardner JHDearen Someone needs to check Chetolini’s finances to see if Pepcid made a contribution to his campaign after they got the 21M
rplardner JHDearen I want to do a study on how Hot Pockets and Yoo Hoo prevent the spread of Covid. I'll need about $30 million. Where can I apply?
rplardner JHDearen Very funny
rplardner JHDearen BUT HOW WILL WE PAY FOR IT!?!?!?!?!!?!
rplardner JHDearen What have you got to lose?
rplardner JHDearen have they tried injecting it
rplardner JHDearen I think he meant to say pepsi
rplardner JHDearen $21 million in taxpayer cash down the shitter thanks to DumDum Donald. He is robbing us blind.
rplardner JHDearen Hmmmm who owns shares in JNJ and MRK?
rplardner JHDearen Which supporter got this $$gift
rplardner JHDearen Canada has less cases per million. Canada has maple syrup and poutine. Coincidence?
rplardner JHDearen In other news, Trump administration wastes $21 million.
rplardner JHDearen
rplardner JHDearen Like Solyndra but dumb.
rplardner JHDearen Dear Lord. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. 🙄
rplardner JHDearen Pepcid ... for COVID? WT...F?
rplardner JHDearen Pepcid... I use it daily as I doom-scroll Twitter and the internet. What the White House needs is an enema.
rplardner JHDearen Which insiders made $
rplardner JHDearen They're bot even trying to hide their corruption anymore
rplardner JHDearen This just in, Kelly Loeffler buys heavily into JnJ.
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