World Health Organization halts trials of hydroxychloriquine for COVID-19 treatment
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jul 7, 2020
The WHO has discontinued the medicines' Solidarity trials after initial results showed they did not have any major benefit on hospitalized patients infected by the novel coronavirus.
According to World Health Organization, the solidarity trial investigators will stop the trials immediately.
The U.N. agency said the decision, taken on the recommendation of the trial's worldwide steering committee, does not affect other studies where those drugs are used for non-hospitalized patients or as prophylaxis.
Anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and anti-HIV drug combination lopinavir/ritonavir will no longer be explored as potential treatments for COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the statement, for each of the drugs, the interim results do not provide solid evidence of increased mortality.
With three options in the clinical trial ruled out, Vergeire said the DOH will now have "remdesivir plus interferon as the new regimen vs. remdesivir alone vs. interferon alone and standard of care".
However, some safety information was compiled based on clinical findings in the associated Discovery trial, an arm of the Solidarity trial.
The WHO, however, clarified that this decision applies only to the conduct of the trial in hospitalized patients.
The interim solidarity results are now being readied for peer-reviewed publication.
Prescriptions for chloroquine rose 159 percent across the United States in February and March, the early days on the COVID-19 outbreak, according to an analysis published Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine. These will also be reported in the peer-reviewed publication.
The effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the disease had generated controversy especially after U.S. President Donald Trump touted the drug as a miracle cure for the disease.
The WHO has stated that this decision will not affect prospective trials on patients who are not admitted to the hospital or are taking the drug before or shortly after exposure to the coronavirus.
There are about 18 experimental COVID-19 vaccines that are being tested on humans with nearly 150 treatments under development.
