To the consternation of some US health officials, Trump is now said to be leaning on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) head Stephen Hahn to greenlight oleandrin as a pharmaceutical or, barring that, as a dietary supplement.

Reports said Trump was introduced to the experimental botanical extract at a White House meeting last month by Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of bedding company My Pillow and a major bankroller of the president’s election campaigns. The extract is also being touted by Ben Carson, secretary of the US Housing and Urban Development (HUD), another major donor, who is also a member of the president’s coronavirus taskforce.

Both Lindell and Carson claim to have taken financial stakes in Phoenix Biotechnology, the company that makes oleandrin. At the top of the promotion chain is Andrew Whitney, vice chairman of Phoenix and a former private equity investor specializing in technology deals.

Up to now, there is no published data showing that oleandrin has been tested in animals or humans for its efficacy against Covid-19; however, the extract allegedly showed some evidence of inhibiting the virus in a lab study not yet peer reviewed or even published. The study‘s authors told the news website Axios that oleandrin has been tested on humans for this indication, and that details will be forthcoming.

In an abstract, the authors wrote that, “using Vero cells, we found that prophylactic oleandrin administration at 30 concentrations down to 0.05 µg/ml exhibited potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, with an 800- fold reduction in virus production, and a 0.1 µg/ml dose resulted in a greater than 3,000-fold reduction in infectious virus production.

The potent prophylactic and therapeutic antiviral activities demonstrated strongly support the further development of oleandrin to reduce the severity of COVID-19 and potentially also to reduce spread by persons diagnosed early after infection,” the abstract said.

Whitney is believed to be pursuing multiple paths to bringing oleandrin to market. The extract’s backers are seen as leaning toward approval as a dietary supplement, as this would not necessitate clinical trials. The biotech executive reportedly claimed to administration officials that oleandrin “cures” Covid-19 in only two days, while later modifying the claim to say that “the symptoms go away.”

Paralells to hydroxychloroquine push

Commentators note the similarities of the Trump administration’s consistent pattern of being drawn in by entrepreneurs pushing unproven virus cures, adding that in a subsequent step, the president might urge Hahn to "look at" or speed up approval of oleandrin, as he did for hydroxychloroquine.

In March, the FDA granted a Emergency Use Authorization for the old malaria drug to treat Covid-19 but rescinded it in June, after a large trial that showed no positive results. The agency also warned of the "risk of heart rhythm problems" in COVID-19 patients treated with the drug. Up to now, Hahn has been seen as resisting the effort to approve oleandrin, despite being a Trump pick for the job.

Even without authorization, the MyPillow founder said he is now taking oleandrin himself, as a prophylactic, and wants to ensure that “every American has access to this Covid-19 "cure." Lindell said he believes the potential treatment “is being suppressed because somebody doesn't want this out there because it works."

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist