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# Hahn has Mea Culpa Moment on Plasma Therapy Data
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/hahn-has-mea-culpa-moment-on-plasma-therapy-data/
- Published: 2020-08-25T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:26:20.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5147508

FDA commissioner **Stephen Hahn** has walked back his interpretation of data that supported the agency’s recent decision to grant an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Covid-19 convalescent plasma and its use in treating hospitalized Covid-19 patients ([see earlier story](https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-allows-controversial-convalescent-plasma-for-covid/)). Hahn was widely criticized for misleadingly stating that 35% of those treated with plasma would be saved.

Appearing on [CBS This Morning](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-trump-fda-chief-hahn-emergency-plasma-order/?ref=fdaweb.com) 8/25, Hahn had a mea culpa moment. “First thing I'd like to say is that I personally could have done a better job, and should have done a better job at that press conference explaining what the data show regarding convalescent plasma,” he said. “I can assure the American people that this decision was made based upon sound science and data.” He said the data were shown to be very promising, and the EUA could be updated as new data arises.

Hahn was also criticized on the timing of the EUA announcement — on the eve of the Republican National Convention. “The timing was totally based on when we got the data,” he said. He said politics did not play a role in the agency’s EUA decision.

Meanwhile, addressing president Trump's recent Tweet that FDA “deep state” employees were delaying the approval process for therapeutics and vaccines related to the Covid-19 pandemic to hurt his reelection bid, Hahn told [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-hahn-exclusive/exclusive-fda-commissioner-disputes-trump-says-no-deep-state-thwarting-vaccine-idUSKBN25L0A2?ref=fdaweb.com) 8/25 he has seen no evidence of this. Hahn said he was completely confident that FDA workers were focused solely on the interests of the American people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked about White House pressure to speed up availability of a coronavirus vaccine, Hahn said he would not participate in a decision at FDA that’s made upon anything other than data and science.