WHO suspends hydroxychloroquine, chloraquine trials as COVID-19 treatment

The World Health Organization (WHO) has temporarily suspended medical trials of hydroxychloroquine and chloraquine used as COVID-19 treatment drug, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Monday.

According to him, a study was published recently regarding the two medications and their effect on patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The study authors claim that higher mortality rates are observed in patients taking these drugs either on their own or in combination with macrolide (antibiotic). Taking these data into account, the Executive Group of the Solidarity Trial has decided to study all currently available data.

"The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board. This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloraquine in COVID-19. The other arms of the trial are continuing", the WHO chief stressed.  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also emphasized that these drugs are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria.

In turn, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Mike Ryan underlined that these developments do not undermine the research, adding that the incoming information must be analyzed.