On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the suspension of a trial of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, citing safety concerns.
Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil, is often advised to treat or prevent malaria and autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
President Donald Trump said the drug has been a “game-changer” in the treatment of COVID-19. He recently said he had been taking the drug to prevent COVID-19.
However, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said evidence has shown harmful side effects of the drug, including cardiovascular problems.
Dr. Tedros referred to a study published in The Lancet, which showed that hydroxychloroquine does not help coronavirus patients and might even increase the risk of death.
“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,” Dr. Tedros said through a video conference.
WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said the organization’s investigators and regulators have raised enough evidence to announce the suspension.
“So the steering committee met over the weekend and decided that in the light of this uncertainty that we should be proactive, err on the side of caution and suspend enrollment, temporarily, into the hydroxychloroquine arm,” Dr. Swaminathan said.
“The WHO will take at least another week, perhaps two, to gather more data,” she added.
Dr. Swaminathan continued, “We want to use hydroxychloroquine if it is safe, if it reduces mortality, reduces the length of hospitalization, without increasing the adverse events. So this is a temporary measure.”
Dr. Tedros said patients should continue taking hydroxychloroquine for its intended uses apart from COVID-19. He said patients who are taking the drug for tier autoimmune diseases should not worry.
“This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in COVID-19,” Dr. Tedros said. “I wish to reiterate that this drug is accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases and malaria.” In March, Trump started praising hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19, leaving some patients who use the drug for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis unable to get their supply.
