The World Health Organization (WHO) is pausing its coronavirus treatment trial of the hydroxychloroquine to review its benefits and harmful effects, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday.
A study of more than 90,000 of patients published in the journal Lancet last week suggested that antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine did not help during the coronavirus treatment and may even be associated with increased death risks in coronavirus patients.
“The executive group of the Solidarity Trial representing ten of the participating countries met on Saturday and has agreed to review a comprehensive analysis and critical appraisal of all evidence available globally. The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and, in particular robust randomized available data, to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug,” Tedros told a press conference.
“The executive group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board. The other arms of the trial are continuing,” the WHO chief said.
The two antimalarial medications have been suggested for a while as a potential COVID-19 treatment. US President Donald Trump has touted hydroxycloroquine as an effective treatment for the coronavirus. The US president said reportedly he was taking the drug himself as a preventive measure. Brazilian health authorities have authorized wider use of both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
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