Before Merck backed COVID antiviral, TFG turned it down

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Trump administration officials fought over whether — and ultimately declined — to fund the same antiviral drug that Merck announced yesterday significantly reduces hospitalizations and deaths among coronavirus patients.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's decision almost certainly delayed the development of the drug. Having an effective antiviral pill during the Delta wave could have substantially reduced its death toll.

The big picture: At the beginning of the pandemic last year, one group of HHS officials was pushing for the federal government to fund what they saw as a promising new drug. Another group was skeptical of the data available, and the process by which the funding was being requested.

What happened is described in detail in a whistleblower complaint filed by former BARDA Director Rick Bright, who led the skeptical point of view.

-more-

https://www.yahoo.com/news/merck-backed-covid-antiviral-trump-230331349.html

[Botany]

1. "They" want to kill us. No other explanation makes any kind of sense.

DeSantis, Trump, Abbott, Noem, & Mississippi's Taint Reeves all have deliberately done things
to spread the virus.

[JohnSJ]

2. It should be noted that Pfizer-BionTec refused government funding when they were developing their

Covid-19 vaccine

[Big Blue Marble]

3. It is doubtful that lack of government funding slowed development of the drug.

Big Pharma including Merck has the funds to accelerate its research and development of drugs.
That is what they do everyday. Why should we pay for R&D when they will make billions.
All the incentives were there to move ahead on their own.

We have incredible evidence to condemn the The Trump Administration without overreach like
this clickbait.

[Girard442]

4. Not exactly clear how promising the drug was early on.

As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't see any likely malfeasance here.