State Secures Possible Coronavirus Cure For Hospitals

It is being billed by some doctors and patients around the country as a cure for coronavirus (COVID-19).

This week the FDA approved the use of the anti-malaria medication Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.

News 9 learned Oklahoma secured a supply of the medication weeks ago and the medicine is currently being compounded in Oklahoma.

“We started three weeks ago getting orders for the bulk of the powder,” said medical consultant Clay Bullard with PGx Medical in Oklahoma City.

Bullard scoured the globe at the governor’s request to secure ingredients to make a five-day supply of Hydroxychloroquine to be taken along with Azithromycin in the form of a Z-pak.

“We have 10,000 patient dosages ready. By the middle of next week, we should have the full 100,000,” said Bullard.

Some of those patient dosages are already being used in Oklahoma hospitals on patients who have already contracted the virus.

Bullard said early tests show after three days of taking the medicine, patients feel better and by the fifth day they are symptom free.

Bullard said had the governor waited days to place Oklahoma's order the state would be scrambling for the medicine like other states.

“We are ahead of other states in our region for sure,” said Bullard, who added that Texas and Colorado have inquired about buying extra amounts of the medication.

“It’s absolutely Oklahoma first,” said Bullard.