Trials begin for McMichael's COVID cure

8/5/2020

By Jim Poole

The trial to test John McMichael’s COVID cure is under way in Salt Lake City.
It’s a major advance so that the Town of Wright scientist’s product, TML, can reach the virus-stricken nation.
Physicians in Mr. McMichael’s nationwide Beech Tree Lab have found TML to be successful treating COVID patients, but the drug needs approval by the Food and Drug Administration to be sold to the public.
The Salt Lake City trial is the first step in that process.
The Utah lab began recruiting patients through ads on network news Thursday, later adding ads in Spanish to also reach a large Latino population there, Mr. McMichael said.
And when sign-ups didn’t proceed as quickly as anticipated, ads went out on COVID-specific pages on Facebook.
“It’s all in an effort to stimulate enrollment,” Mr. McMichael said.
The trial—all done remotely--has 40 virus patients, with 20 receiving TML and the others, a placebo.  A patient starts the trial as soon as he or she is enrolled, after having been interviewed by a physician.
In a process that sounds like it’s from a spy novel, a special courier delivers a package to the patient’s doorstep “and takes a picture of the patient or someone in his family picking up the package,” Mr. McMichael said.  “The photo is proof that it’s been picked up.”
Inside the package are a thermometer, swabs for COVID tests and other tools to gauge the patient’s health.
Also, there are two vials, one with water and the other with TML or the placebo.  TML is administered by drops on the tongue; the water vial is used first for practice.
“They practice under the supervision of someone watching remotely,” Mr.  McMichael said.  “When they master that, which shouldn’t take long, they switch to the other vial.”
Physicians check patients—again, remotely--twice daily for 14 days.
“By doing it this way, they’re never seeing a physician in person and never exposed to outside influences,” Mr. McMichael said.
The Salt Lake City trial is the first of two tests.  If TML clears this hurdle, there will be a pivotal trial with 200 to 250 patients.  And if that’s successful, Mr. McMichael will work with a large pharmaceutical company to produce TML for the public.
“We’re confident it works,” he said.  “That’s why we’re doing this.”
Mr. McMichael developed TML about 20 years ago as a successful treatment for herpes and influenza viruses.  When the pandemic began months ago, doctors in Beech Tree Labs found TML was also successful in treating COVID.
FDA approval, however, is essential for TML to reach the general public.