BREAKING: The Justice Department clears antitrust hurdles for AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a major drug wholesaler, to distribute the Trump-touted anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19. cc: @CourthouseNews

From the DOJ& #39;s letter: https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/file/1269911/download">https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/...
The $750,000 contract to develop a treatment protocol for the anti-malaria drug ends tomorrow (April 21).

Some two decades ago, the contractor behind this work oversaw a defrauded clinical trial for an antibiotic that sparked a rare criminal prosecution. https://www.courthousenews.com/chloroquine-researcher-oversaw-trials-for-drug-that-sparked-rare-prosecution/">https://www.courthousenews.com/chloroqui...
Seeking antitrust experts for a story on this breaking news.

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Story on the antitrust clearance for this drug-wholesale giant supplying the hydroxychloroquine coming up soon for @CourthouseNews.

Meanwhile, a few more facts to contextualize this breaking news.
Those same three companies now have enforcement hurdles cleared by assistant AG Makan Delrahim, the DOJ& #39;s top antitrust official who unsuccessfully tried to block AT&T& #39;s merger with TimeWarner.

Critics saw it as the Trump admin& #39;s attempt to punish subsidiary CNN.
In the ensuing press coverage, NYT reported that the deal put "Trump& #39;s top antitrust cop" Delrahim at the center of a political storm.

They reported in the article on Delrahim& #39;s gift upon entering DOJ: a hat punning “Makan Antitrust Great Again.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/technology/justice-department-antitrust.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/0...
In an interview, @DrDenaGrayson told me the government sometimes stockpiles drugs during emergency situations before their efficacy against a disease can be proven, but the singular focus on hydroxychloroquine seems political.
Hydroxychloroquine is the only drug listed by name in the DOJ& #39;s letter to AmerisourceBergen.

"The Department understands that other, additional medicines could eventually be added to this distribution initiative," a footnote of the letter reads. https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/file/1269911/download">https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/...
AmerisourceBergen did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment, and I will have more context from an antitrust expert soon.

Look out for the story.
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