$2m to test Trump drug of choice

Kiwi scientists have been given nearly $2 million to research and test the drug United States President Donald Trump was taking to ward off coronavirus, which a new study found increases the risk of death for infected patients.

A study published in British journal The Lancet reported a higher mortality rate for Covid-19 patients in hospital because of the virus who were given the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and, on Monday, the World Health Organisation suspended its trial of the drug while it reviewed the data.

Scientists in New Zealand have been awarded $1.96m across four projects to research the drug.

Crown agency the Health Research Council is funding three projects, including one that would trial the drug on healthcare workers to see if it can prevent them from catching the virus.

However, researchers are ‘‘actively reviewing their studies in light of these deve lopments’’, a spokeswoman said. None of the trials had recruited patients yet.

Dr Michael Maze, senior lecturer in medicine and a respiratory physician at Otago University in Christchurch, said the jury was still out as to the effectiveness of the drug, which meant it should continue to be studied. Maze is an investigator on a trial of the drug.

Meanwhile, Douglas Pharmaceuticals was granted $600,000, as part of the Covid-19 Innovation Acceleration fund, to look into whether the drug reduces the risk of frontline healthcare workers catching the virus.

Hydroxychloroquine is safe for malaria and autoimmunue diseases, but Trump promoted the drug as a preventive measure for Covid-19, despite warnings of dangerous side effects from his own health experts.

The Lancet study said there were no benefits to treating patients with the drug, which it said increased risk of death and caused harmful side effects, including heart problems.