Oleandrin's Being Pushed as an Unproven COVID 'Cure'
There's a new substance being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19; an extract from the Oleander plant called oleandrin. A news report from Axios is fueling an internet stir that this unproven treatment could be the next COVID-19 cure.
The outlet writes that "President Trump has expressed enthusiasm for the Food and Drug Administration to permit an extract from the oleander plant to be marketed as a dietary supplement or, alternatively, approved as a drug to cure COVID-19, despite lack of proof that it works."
Now, news has spread that an unproven treatment may be deemed the next COVID-19 cure. So far, we can't find independent evidence that Trump has publicly supported using oleandrin as a cure or treatment for COVID-19. All news of Trump's support for oleandrin is linked back to the Axios report, which states that in July, information about oleandrin was presented to Trump in an Oval Office meeting that included MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell and HUD Secretary Ben Carson. Lindell reportedly learned of oleandrin from Andrew Whitney of Phoenix Biotechnology, a company that researches the extract.
Lindell, who has a financial stake in the company, approached Carson about using oleandrin to treat COVID-19. Subsequently, a small teem met at the White House in July. Trump reportedly said, "The FDA should be approving it," according to Axios. The outlet reports that the White House has not responded to their request for comment. Here's what else you should know about oleandrin.
What is oleandrin anyway?
Oleandrin extract comes from Nerium oleander plant, which is toxic. Consuming just one leaf can be deadly, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
In labs, scientists are studying the effects of oleandrin on cancer cells. However, clinical trials studying oleandrin in human cancer patients have not been conducted, meaning you should not use this as treatment. There is no evidence yet that oleandrin is helpful to cancer patients.
Does oleandrin treat COVID-19?
There are no clinical trials studying the effects of oleandrin in COVID-19 patients. According to Sharon Lewin, the director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, oleandrin is not ready to be used for COVID-19.
"Oleandrin looks to have antiviral activity at high doses in a test tube model," she told Axios. You'd certainly want to see more work done on this before even contemplating a human trial."
However, Axios reports Whitney as saying that oleandrin has been tested on humans for its efficacy against COVID-19, but the study has not yet been published or peer-reviewed for accuracy.
Would the FDA approve oleandrin to treat COVID-19?
The answer is complex, according to John Whyte, M.D. MPH, and Chief Medical Officer at WebMD.
"It matters a great deal as to whether it's a supplement or a drug," he says. "Supplements are considered food and therefore do not undergo the rigorous safety and efficacy data required before it can come to market."
Dietary supplements are not FDA-approved, which means the agency doesn't vet company claims before products hit store shelves. According to the agency, "it is the company’s responsibility to make sure its products are safe and that any claims are true."
This can lead to concerns after thousands have used the product.
"The problem is that you often don't find issues with safety until it has been used by many people," says Dr. Whyte.
And some supplements may have pharmacologic properties, meaning they act like a drug in some way.
"If that's the case, we need to make sure that it doesn't interfere with other medicines that people might be taking, or affect their health conditions," says Dr. Whyte.
However, if oleandrin claims to cure COVID and has pharmacologic properties, then it should be treated as a medication and undergo the drug review process, says Dr. Whyte. This means controlled clinical trials will study whether the substance is safe and effective in treating COVID-19 patients.
"We need to get information right—even if it takes a little longer than we'd like," says Dr. Whyte.
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