Clinical trial: Hydroxychloroquine cut death rate in half among already sick patients, without side effects

Dearborn, Mich. – Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, Thursday said she was glad to learn the results of The Henry Ford Medical Center’s clinical trial of the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for COVID-19 patients, which found the drug cut the number of deaths among already sick patients in half without heart-related side effects.

HFMC reported that among the 2,541 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between March 10th and May 2nd across the health system’s six hospitals, over 26 percent of those not given HCQ died, while only 13 percent of those who did receive the drug died. The study was published Thursday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the peer-reviewed, open-access online publication of the International Society of Infectious Diseases.https://www.henryford.com/news/2020/07/hydro-treatmentstudy?fbclid=IwAR0fK6VZQVKBM5cZauLx6BPfozaCLU5Q8P94bKWBxYyliZNjRRzVNY8ACHs

“Our analysis shows that using hydroxychloroquine helped save lives,” Henry Ford neurosurgeon Dr. Steve Kalkanis said.

Kalkanis’ comments echoed those of Dr. John Pfenninger of Midland, a nationally known physician and long-time medical columnist for the Midland Daily News, who in an April 18th commentary praised Glenn for intervening with the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to help clear the drug’s use in Michigan. https://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/letters/article/Retired-physician-commends-Stamas-Glenn-15209687.php

“Glenn’s actions may have indeed saved many lives,” Pfenninger wrote.

“The Lord gives us opportunities to do good for others, and he expects us to use them,” Glenn said in response to Henry Ford’s findings. “It’s deeply gratifying to have had the opportunity to play a role in helping ensure COVID-19 victims got the life-saving treatment their doctors thought necessary. I am pleased to have played a role in ensuring people had the opportunity to save their lives or their loved ones lives with this.”

As reported March 31st by the Midland Daily News, Glenn, who serves as vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that writes LARA’s budget, after hearing from local healthcare professionals upset by LARA’s threat memo, successfully pressured agency officials in a conference call to issue a clarification recanting the threat and assuring doctors that they are free to prescribe the drug. https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Glenn-Anti-malaria-drugs-still-allowed-nbsp-for-15169731.php

“I’ve heard from doctors and pharmacists in our community who were upset and concerned about LARA’s threat memo,” Glenn said at the time. “Healthcare professionals and their patients in Bay and Midland counties need clear, unequivocal answers, to ensure they’re able to use any drugs or treatment available to save the lives of our family, friends, and fellow community members.”

Glenn said use of HCQ in other states had “shown promise for people who are battling this terrible virus, and we must do all we can to help save lives here in Michigan. People should and do have the right to be prescribed this medication if their doctor deems it necessary, especially since Michigan has a Right to Try law passed in 2014 that guarantees potentially terminal patients the right to try any drug they believe may help ease their suffering or save their life.”

During the conference call with Glenn, LARA officials clarified that the poorly-worded memo had not been intended to threaten physicians who prescribed the drug, but only those who tried to hoard it. LARA thereafter posted on its website two clarifying updates to its original memo, making clear that physicians were free to prescribe the drug without fear of penalty by the state.

After the conference call, Glenn said she was asked by individuals to personally call their physicians, to assure them that the initial threat of state action against physicians had been resolved.

Glenn also called the physician of Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, with the same assurance. Whitsett was given the drug after testing positive in March and had quickly recovered.

In April, she described on a nationally broadcast radio talk show the role Glenn played in helping her receive the drug, which she said she believes saved her life. https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Colleague-credits-Glenn-with-helping-try-to-save-15200084.php

Whitsett said on The Glenn Beck Show that despite her severe and quickly deteriorating condition, her doctor had refused to prescribe the drug after receiving LARA’s threat memo.

“I contacted state Rep. Annette Glenn on the Republican side, and she contacted (my doctor) and told him he was misinterpreting the law,” Whitsett told Beck.

Whitsett said she didn’t believe she’d be alive if the threat memo hadn’t been retracted and the drug made available to her, but asked “how many other people didn’t have access to the medication and lost their lives that day?”

Glenn said, “I am truly pleased to think the Lord may have used me in such a way that my actions might actually have helped save lives, as the Henry Ford clinical trials indicate may be true. Little I accomplish as a legislator could make me feel more blessed to have the privilege of being in a position to serve families in Bay and Midland counties – and end up helping people all across Michigan in the process – including my dear friend Rep. Whitsett.”