>>> AS THE NATION FIGHTS TO CURB
>>> AS THE NATION FIGHTS TO CURB THE SPREAD OF THIS PANDEMIC, THE
THE SPREAD OF THIS PANDEMIC, THE MEDICAL WORD IS WORKING ON A
MEDICAL WORD IS WORKING ON A SHORT-TERM FIX THAT COULD TREAT
SHORT-TERM FIX THAT COULD TREAT MORE THAN 34,000 PEOPLE ACROSS
MORE THAN 34,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE ALREADY
THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE
TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. AND THEY COULD BE GETTING
AND THEY COULD BE GETTING CLOSER.
CLOSER. LAST NIGHT A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS
LAST NIGHT A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS RELEASED A REPORT THAT DETAILED
RELEASED A REPORT THAT DETAILED NEARLY 70 DRUGS THAT ALREADY
NEARLY 70 DRUGS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE IN
EXIST AND MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING THE CORONAVIRUS.
TREATING THE CORONAVIRUS. MEANWHILE, THE PRESIDENT IS
MEANWHILE, THE PRESIDENT IS PUSHING AN UNPROVEN CORONAVIRUS
PUSHING AN UNPROVEN CORONAVIRUS DRUG AND PATIENTS WHO PROBABLY
DRUG AND PATIENTS WHO PROBABLY DON’T NEED IT YET ARE STOCKING
DON’T NEED IT YET ARE STOCKING UP.
UP. JOINING ME TO DISCUSS, DR.
JOINING ME TO DISCUSS, DR. WILLIAM HAZELTINE, INFECTIOUS
WILLIAM HAZELTINE, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT AND PRESIDENT OF
DISEASE EXPERT AND PRESIDENT OF ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL.
ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL. DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME
DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. THIS REPORT SAYS IT MAY BE
THIS REPORT SAYS IT MAY BE QUICKER TO REPURPOSE EXISTING
QUICKER TO REPURPOSE EXISTING TREATMENTS RATHER THAN CREATE A
TREATMENTS RATHER THAN CREATE A NEW ONE FROM SCRATCH.
NEW ONE FROM SCRATCH. DO THESE EXISTING TREATMENTS
DO THESE EXISTING TREATMENTS ACTUALLY WORK?
ACTUALLY WORK? >> THE EXISTING TREATMENTS
>> THE EXISTING TREATMENTS AREN’T KNOWN TO WORK YET.
AREN’T KNOWN TO WORK YET. THAT CERTAINLY WOULD BE THE
THAT CERTAINLY WOULD BE THE QUICKEST WAY TO DO IT, BUT THEY
QUICKEST WAY TO DO IT, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE TESTED.
HAVE TO BE TESTED. THERE ARE MORE THAN 25 DRUGS
THERE ARE MORE THAN 25 DRUGS THAT ALREADY ARE APPROVED THAT
THAT ALREADY ARE APPROVED THAT 69 TO 70 THAT YOU DISCUSSED FOR
69 TO 70 THAT YOU DISCUSSED FOR OTHER INDICATIONS.
OTHER INDICATIONS. THEY MAY BE EFFECTIVE.
THEY MAY BE EFFECTIVE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE A
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER DRUGS THAT WORK
NUMBER OF OTHER DRUGS THAT WORK AGAINST THE VIRUS DIRECTLY OR
AGAINST THE VIRUS DIRECTLY OR CHEMICALS, DRUG CANDIDATES THAT
CHEMICALS, DRUG CANDIDATES THAT WORK AGAINST THE VIRUS DIRECTLY
WORK AGAINST THE VIRUS DIRECTLY THAT ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO AFFECT
THAT ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO AFFECT THE VIRUS BUT HAVEN’T BEEN FULLY
THE VIRUS BUT HAVEN’T BEEN FULLY TESTED IN CLINICAL TRIALS YET.
TESTED IN CLINICAL TRIALS YET. YOU’VE GOT TO TEST THESE DRUGS
YOU’VE GOT TO TEST THESE DRUGS IN HUMANS AGAINST THE VIRUS
IN HUMANS AGAINST THE VIRUS BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER
BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER WILL BE.
WILL BE. >> THEN HOW LONG DO THOSE
>> THEN HOW LONG DO THOSE CLINICAL TRIALS TAKE.
CLINICAL TRIALS TAKE. LET’S --
LET’S -- >> WE CAN ACCELERATE THOSE VERY
>> WE CAN ACCELERATE THOSE VERY DRAMATICALLY.
DRAMATICALLY. WE CAN ACCELERATE THEM SO THAT
WE CAN ACCELERATE THEM SO THAT ONCE -- IF YOU HAVE A DRUG
ONCE -- IF YOU HAVE A DRUG THAT’S APPROVED, YOU CAN TEST IT
THAT’S APPROVED, YOU CAN TEST IT IN SOMEBODY WHO IS INFECTED AND
IN SOMEBODY WHO IS INFECTED AND YOU CAN SEE VERY QUICKLY BY
YOU CAN SEE VERY QUICKLY BY WHAT’S CALLED A SURROGATE
WHAT’S CALLED A SURROGATE MARKER.
MARKER. THAT IS JUST WATCHING THE LEVEL
THAT IS JUST WATCHING THE LEVEL OF VIRUS IN THEIR BLOOD DROP.
OF VIRUS IN THEIR BLOOD DROP. THAT’S A MARKER THAT THE DRUG IS
THAT’S A MARKER THAT THE DRUG IS GOING TO WORK.
GOING TO WORK. IF YOU SEE THAT WORKING.
IF YOU SEE THAT WORKING. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR
YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR THEM TO GET CURED.
THEM TO GET CURED. YOU KNOW THAT THE VIRUS, THE
YOU KNOW THAT THE VIRUS, THE DRUG IS WORKING.
DRUG IS WORKING. AND YOU CAN BEGIN TO EXPAND ITS
AND YOU CAN BEGIN TO EXPAND ITS USE DRAMATICALLY.
USE DRAMATICALLY. IT CAN TAKE -- ONCE YOU TEST IT
IT CAN TAKE -- ONCE YOU TEST IT IN PEOPLE, IT CAN BE A VERY
IN PEOPLE, IT CAN BE A VERY SHORT TIME.
SHORT TIME. I WOULD SAY A MATTER OF ONE OR
I WOULD SAY A MATTER OF ONE OR TWO WEEKS AT THE MOST IF THE
TWO WEEKS AT THE MOST IF THE DRUG IS ALREADY APPROVED.
DRUG IS ALREADY APPROVED. IF IT ISN’T APPROVED, THEN IT
IF IT ISN’T APPROVED, THEN IT NEEDS TESTING.
NEEDS TESTING. I THINK IT WILL SAY PROBABLY
I THINK IT WILL SAY PROBABLY UNTIL THIS SUMMER.
UNTIL THIS SUMMER. BUT I’M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT
BUT I’M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TACKLE
WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TACKLE THIS VIRUS WITH DRUGS.
THIS VIRUS WITH DRUGS. DRUGS NOT ONLY TO TREAT THOSE
DRUGS NOT ONLY TO TREAT THOSE PEOPLE BUT AN IDEA THAT I DON’T
PEOPLE BUT AN IDEA THAT I DON’T THINK MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT,
THINK MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT, USING DRUGS TO PREVENT INFECTION
USING DRUGS TO PREVENT INFECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IN THE FIRST PLACE. THAT’S WHAT WE DO WITH MALARIA.
THAT’S WHAT WE DO WITH MALARIA. YOU TAKE DRUGS IF YOU’RE GOING
YOU TAKE DRUGS IF YOU’RE GOING INTO MALARIA ZONE SO DRUGS THAT
INTO MALARIA ZONE SO DRUGS THAT WORK AGAINST THE VIRUS CAN USED
WORK AGAINST THE VIRUS CAN USED FOR TWO PURPOSES.
FOR TWO PURPOSES. TREATING THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND
TREATING THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND PREVENTING THOSE WHO ARE EXPOSED
PREVENTING THOSE WHO ARE EXPOSED FROM BEING INFECTED.
FROM BEING INFECTED. >> SO YOU AGREE WITH THE
>> SO YOU AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT THAT USING THESE
PRESIDENT THAT USING THESE ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS TO TREAT
ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS TO TREAT CORONAVIRUS COULD BE A --
CORONAVIRUS COULD BE A -- SOMEWHAT OF A GOLDEN TICKET?
SOMEWHAT OF A GOLDEN TICKET? >> I DON’T NECESSARILY AGREE
>> I DON’T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS.
WITH ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS. THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. BUT I DO AGREE THAT THERE ARE A
BUT I DO AGREE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN
NUMBER OF CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN CLINICAL TRIALS.
CLINICAL TRIALS. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN APPROVED
SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR HUMAN USE WHICH MUST BE
FOR HUMAN USE WHICH MUST BE TESTED IN HUMANS INFECTED WITH
TESTED IN HUMANS INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS BEFORE WE KNOW.
THE VIRUS BEFORE WE KNOW. MALARIA MAY BE PREMATURE.
MALARIA MAY BE PREMATURE. WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE
WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE ANTI-MALARIAL DRUGS.
ANTI-MALARIAL DRUGS. WE DON’T KNOW YET.
WE DON’T KNOW YET. BUT THE CONCEPT I WAS TRYING TO
BUT THE CONCEPT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT IS USING THE DRUGS TO
GET AT IS USING THE DRUGS TO PREVENT INFECTION AS WELL AS TO
PREVENT INFECTION AS WELL AS TO TREAT INFECTION.
TREAT INFECTION. AND THAT’S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH
AND THAT’S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH I RAISE MALARIA.
I RAISE MALARIA. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS MENTIONED
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS MENTIONED SEVERAL DRUGS OUT THERE AND WHAT
SEVERAL DRUGS OUT THERE AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED, PEOPLE HAVE GONE
HAS HAPPENED, PEOPLE HAVE GONE OUT AND STOCKED UP ON THEM AND
OUT AND STOCKED UP ON THEM AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY NEED
OTHER PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY NEED THOSE DRUGS, LIKE PEOPLE WITH
THOSE DRUGS, LIKE PEOPLE WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE LUPUS,
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE LUPUS, CAN’T GET THEM.
CAN’T GET THEM. HOW BIG OF A RISK IS IT WHEN WE
HOW BIG OF A RISK IS IT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE DRUGS THAT IT
TALK ABOUT THESE DRUGS THAT IT CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD THAT
CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM, THEY’RE NO
PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM, THEY’RE NO LONGER AVAILABLE?
LONGER AVAILABLE? >> IT CAN DO SOME HARM BECAUSE
>> IT CAN DO SOME HARM BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE DRUGS, NEED
PEOPLE WHO NEED THE DRUGS, NEED THE DRUGS.
THE DRUGS. AND THESE ARE YET AS UNPROVEN IN
AND THESE ARE YET AS UNPROVEN IN HUMAN TRIALS.
HUMAN TRIALS. ALL OF US, I THINK WHO STUDY
