Why can’t we develop COVID-19 treatments faster?
Ask the doctor
COVID-19 is an unprecedented public health emergency. Why can't we go faster in developing drugs for it that are effective and safe?In the United States, the FDA approves drugs to treat specific diseases. To prove to the FDA that a drug is effective and safe, doctors need time. A large number of patients need to be recruited and followed to see whether the drug has worked and whether it has produced dangerous side effects — and that all takes time. If doctors cut corners, they can draw the wrong conclusions about whether the drug is effective and safe.
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