US OFFICIAL SACKED OVER OPPOSITION TO HCQ

WASHINGTON—

The head of a government agency combating the coronavirus pandemic claimed on Wednesday that he was ousted for opposing politically connected efforts to promote hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) that US President Donald Trump touted without proof as a remedy for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda), said in a statement that he was summarily removed from his job on Tuesday and reassigned to a lesser role.

“I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science—not politics or cronyism—has to lead the way,” Bright, who has a doctoral degree in immunology, said in his statement, which was released by his lawyers.

“Specifically, and contrary to misguided directives, I limited the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which clearly lack scientific merit,” Bright said.

Dangerous drug

“I also resisted efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections,” he added.

Barda is a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created to counter threats from bioterrorism and infectious diseases. It has recently been trying to jump-start work on a vaccine for the coronavirus.

“While I am prepared to look at all options and to think ‘outside the box’ for effective treatments, I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public,” Bright wrote.

He also alluded to “clashes with HHS political leadership” over his efforts to “invest early in vaccines and supplies critical to saving American lives.”

“Science, in service to the health and safety of the American people, must always trump politics,” Bright said.

Bright and his lawyers are requesting investigations by the HHS inspector general and by the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency that has as part of its charge the protection of government whistleblowers.

Controversy has swirled around the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine since Trump started promoting it from the podium in the White House briefing room.

Asked about Bright at Wednesday’s briefing, Trump said he “never heard of him.”—ap