The Worst Offender

Dan Cox interfered in the scientific process by promoting quack cures

cause célèbre

[ kawz suh-leb-ruh, -leb; French kohz sey-leb-ruh ]

noun

any controversy that attracts great public attention.

When Covid hit the US, we were all in a panic, hoping that we could rapidly find a therapeutic that would “save the day”.  What happened though in the panic for a therapeutic, the people were believing disinformation from politicians.  That ruined the scientific effort and delayed finding the answer to whether HCQ had efficacy against Covid or not.  FINALLY, we can say HCQ does not have efficacy.  The definitive study is here:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X22000606?via%3Dihub.  

But the accompanying Comment appearing in The Lancet gives all of us food for thought, as possible patients of Covid, and as politicians.  Simply, let the medical scientific community do what it does in a very expert manner.  I hope you will read the entire Comment.  https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2667-193X%2822%2900085-0

I’ve taken some excerpts from the short Comment:  

“In many respects, hydroxychloroquine, an off-patent antimalarial used for autoimmune diseases, with decades of safety data, and with data suggesting in vitro efficacy in SARS-Cov-1, was an ideal candidate therapy.1 What happened next, however, was an unfortunate comedy of errors that squandered resources and opportunities to find effective therapies. “

“Regrettably, before the first randomized controlled trial was complete,3 hydroxychloroquine became a cause célèbre. It was endorsed by an array of notable (and polarizing) individuals and supported by a variety of confounded observational studies.”

“Consequently, most outpatient trials failed to enroll to completion, and none were independently large enough to definitively refute a small benefit in this setting.” 

“Against this backdrop, the publication in this issue of The Lancet, Regional Health − Americas of a large, double-blind randomized controlled trial of hydroxychloroquine in 1372 participants with initially mild COVID-19 conducted by the COPE-COALITION V group is noteworthy and laudable.6 Although this well-designed and conducted trial fell short of its recruitment goal of 1620 infected participants stymied by the high rate of enrolled participants in whom the infection could not be confirmed by PCR or serology − it is the largest outpatient therapeutic trial of hydroxychloroquine published to date. Like dozens of smaller trials published before, it failed to demonstrate any benefit to HCQ in preventing progression of COVID among Outpatients with Initially mild Covid. “

“With dozens of trials now published, we can finally close the curtains on hydroxychloroquine for COVID- 19. However, we would be remiss if we did not draw some lessons for future pandemics and for clinical science in general. 

1. Do not put the cart before the horse. (For those who spread misinformation regarding the positive in-vitro data in animal models with HCQ, please read this.  Stop making scientific conclusions where you have no understanding.)

2. Science should step above the politics.  (That means, there is NO room for politics. Period. End. Of. Story.

3. There is no “I” in team “ (Don’t be a cowboy, be part of the team.)

My comments:

I was very disturbed by politicians thinking they knew more than our expert community of medical scientists.  Politicians do not know SQUAT about medical science.  

Dan Cox and Campaign was the worst offender in Maryland.  He interfered by promoting the product and by sowing discord among his base.  He simply must realize that he was part of the problem in interfering in the scientific process.  I hope someday to hear Dan Cox apologize for his interference.  He must.

Again I make this analogy.  I have 3 or 4 law courses in two Masters’ Programs.  I know that this does NOT make me capable of making expert commentary on legal issues.   Dan and Gordana have NO medical experience or education (or at least they haven’t identified as such).  Therefore, they are totally unqualified to promote a product or push for the use of the product, or to interfere in the scientific process to determine efficacy or try and interfere in changing State prescribing laws and statutes.  

I call on Dan Cox to apologize for his interference in the scientific process and to indicate his culpability in delaying the entire scientific process.  I hope Dan Cox and Gordana Schifanelli will realize that when it comes to medical science, they will first do no harm.  That means for politicians like Cox, be part of the solution, not part of the problem.  Let the medical community do what it does best.