Whitney, who is also seeking FDA approval to get oleandrin sold as a dietary supplement, has previously claimed that the botanical extract can cure the virus in two days, despite a lack of clinical trials or evidence. President Trump has previously pushed FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to approve anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus, and in May announced he was taking the drug as a preventative measure. A coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca looks to be leading the vaccine race, with early-stage clinical trials last month showing that the virus appears to be safe. Russia last week claimed it had become the first in the world to grant regulatory approval for coronavirus vaccine “Sputnik-V”, despite experts raising safety concerns. Further readingTrump eyes new unproven coronavirus "cure" (Axios)Experts Raise Alarm As Putin Says Russia Has Approved World’s First Covid-19 Vaccine (Forbes)Promising Sign As Coronavirus Vaccine Developed By AstraZeneca And Oxford University Appears Safe, Early Trials Show (Forbes)Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

Source: Forbes August 17, 2020 09:22 UTC