The 81-year-old director says that he will step back from his positions this December, but that he will continue working to advance science and public health.
A new presidential memorandum requires the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a government-wide push to generate a research action plan for the condition.
Current evidence suggests the treatment does not improve survival or reduce the need for ventilation in COVID-19 patients, the World Health Organization says.
As epidemics swept across the United States in the 19th century, the US government recognized the pressing need for a national lab dedicated to the study of infectious disease.