Josh Hardy moved out of ICU after receiving lifesaving drug

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Josh Hardy out of ICU after getting experimental drug

Remarkable improvement for 7 year old

Seven-year-old cancer survivor Josh Hardy was moved out of the intensive care unit Tuesday, just two weeks after receiving the lifesaving medication he needed to treat his adenovirus, according to a Facebook post from his mother.
                                                                                                   
Josh’s mother, Aimee Hardy, wrote on Facebook that Josh has made significant progress towards recovery in the last week.

“Praise GOD in Heaven. Two great things today! Josh was moved out of the ICU on to the transplant floor, which is huge!!!! Also the adenovirus blood results came back less than 100 log copies. Pretty much gone!” Hardy wrote on Facebook. “We are still waiting for Josh's kidney function to return but we are definitely on the right path. Josh has made tremendous strides in the last week.”

Josh’s predicament entered the national spotlight after his mother launched a grassroots campaign to get her son access to the drug brincidofovir  - an unapproved medication proven to clear up adenovirus in children with two weeks. Adenovirus is an infection that can be deadly in people, like Josh, with compromised immune systems.

Because brincidofovir has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Hardy’s appealed to the drug’s manufacturer, Chimerix, for compassionate use access to the drug. Under the FDA’s compassionate use program, a drug company can supply patients not eligible for clinical trials with investigational drugs in order to treat serious or life threatening diseases.

However, Chimerix initially refused to release the drug to Josh, citing cost issues and concerns that giving the drug to Josh might interfere with the drug’s FDA approval process.

“Don’t you people realize there is an FDA?  We have done what we can.  Say a prayer for Josh,” Chimerix boad member Tim Wollaeger wrote in an email to FoxNews.com.

After facing intense criticism for their refusal to give Josh the medication, Chimerix eventually reversed their decision and launched a new clinical trial with Josh as the first patient. Josh received the drug on Wednesday, March 12.

“We have so much to be thankful for and I just want to thank you all for your prayers and support,” Hardy wrote in her Facebook post.