The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday it was taking the lead on a national effort to facilitate the use of plasma from recovered patients to treat patients infected with the coronavirus.The FDA program involves the Mayo Clinic and the American Red Cross, with funding from the federal government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
The FDA’s move complements an effort by a consortium of 50 hospitals and universities called the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project. This week, the Project launched a website for patients, healthcare providers and potential donors. The idea is to provide “one stop shopping” for people interested in getting information about using the approach.