World in two minds on drugs

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE: DIVIDED OPINION ON ITS USE

Study shows no benefit in using them on patients with Covid-19.

Paris

Banned in some countries, promoted in others – the drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for the new coronavirus is dividing opinion worldwide.

Scientists looking to find licensed medicines that could be repurposed as a treatment for Covid-19 had started tests of hydroxychloroquine, normally used to treat arthritis, and chloroquine, an antimalarial.

Both drugs can produce potentially serious side-effects, particularly heart arrhythmia, leading many experts to warn against their use outside of clinical trials.

But that has not stopped world leaders like US President Donald Trump endorsing hydroxychloroquine.

Escalating the debate, The Lancet on 22 May published a study of nearly 100 000 coronavirus patients who showed no benefit in treating them with the two drugs – and even increased the likelihood of them dying in hospital.

This led the World Health Organisation to suspend clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine, but dozens of scientists have since raised concerns over the study’s methodology. The Lancet corrected part of the data, but researchers have stood by theirconclusions.

Countries worldwide vary on their own policies.

The study prompted several countries to halt the use of hydroxychloroquine.

France did so on 27 May, days after controversial French doctor Didier Raoult – whose own methodology has been questioned – rejected the study and stood by his belief the drug can help patients recover from the virus.

Other countries, including Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Cape Verde and Albania also banned the use of the drug for Covid-19 patients. In Italy it remains possible in clinical trials.

Hungary, meanwhile, does not use the drug “for newly diagnosed patients” but continues to do so “for patients who already started taking it”, according to a government spokesperson.

Even before the study, some countries had stopped using hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19. Sweden had used the drug in the early phases of the pandemic to treat patients with severe symptoms, but halted its use in April after the European Medicines Agency recommended it only be used in clinical trials. –