What does the scientific literature say about using hydroxychloroquine to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19?
What does the scientific literature say about using hydroxychloroquine to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19?
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Hydroxychloroquine is not a recognized prevention, treatment or cure for COVID-19. Earlier in the pandemic, hydroxychloqoruine was proposed as a treatment for COVID-19, on the basis of some preliminary results from small, uncontrolled clinical trials. Since then, more robust randomized controlled trials have been conducted to study hydroxycholoquine as a treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients. Study results published in November 2020 show that hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with the coronavirus disease. Another study published in 'The Lancet' in November 2020 reported that hydroxycholoquine does not prevent mortality from COVID-19 even among those who were using it before they got infected with SARS-CoV-2. Around the world, some countries have authorized chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 despite limited clinical evidence supporting its efficacy. This decision follows some preliminary results coming out of China and France in March 2020, where a few small clinical trials showed limited success of the medication. On June 15th 2020, the U.S. FDA revoked the special permission to use chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in emergency situations for COVID-19, citing that these drugs are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 and highlighting serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects reported in studies.
Hydroxychloroquine is not a recognized prevention, treatment or cure for COVID-19. Earlier in the pandemic, hydroxychloqoruine was proposed as a treatment for COVID-19, on the basis of some preliminary results from small, uncontrolled clinical trials. Since then, more robust randomized controlled trials have been conducted to study hydroxycholoquine as a treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients. Study results published in November 2020 show that hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with the coronavirus disease. Another study published in 'The Lancet' in November 2020 reported that hydroxycholoquine does not prevent mortality from COVID-19 even among those who were using it before they got infected with SARS-CoV-2. Around the world, some countries have authorized chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 despite limited clinical evidence supporting its efficacy. This decision follows some preliminary results coming out of China and France in March 2020, where a few small clinical trials showed limited success of the medication. On June 15th 2020, the U.S. FDA revoked the special permission to use chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in emergency situations for COVID-19, citing that these drugs are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 and highlighting serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects reported in studies.
Publication
What our experts say
Hydroxychloroquine is not a recognized prevention, treatment or cure for COVID-19.
Earlier in the pandemic, hydroxychloqoruine was proposed as a treatment for COVID-19, on the basis of some preliminary results from small, uncontrolled clinical trials. Since then, more robust randomized controlled trials have been conducted to study hydroxycholoquine as a treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients.
Study results published in November 2020 show that hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with the coronavirus disease. Another study published in 'The Lancet' in November 2020 reported that hydroxycholoquine does not prevent mortality from COVID-19 even among those who were using it before they got infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Around the world, some countries have authorized chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 despite limited clinical evidence supporting its efficacy. This decision follows some preliminary results coming out of China and France in March 2020, where a few small clinical trials showed limited success of the medication.
On June 15th 2020, the U.S. FDA revoked the special permission to use chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in emergency situations for COVID-19, citing that these drugs are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 and highlighting serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects reported in studies.
Hydroxychloroquine is not a recognized prevention, treatment or cure for COVID-19.
Earlier in the pandemic, hydroxychloqoruine was proposed as a treatment for COVID-19, on the basis of some preliminary results from small, uncontrolled clinical trials. Since then, more robust randomized controlled trials have been conducted to study hydroxycholoquine as a treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients.
Study results published in November 2020 show that hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with the coronavirus disease. Another study published in 'The Lancet' in November 2020 reported that hydroxycholoquine does not prevent mortality from COVID-19 even among those who were using it before they got infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Around the world, some countries have authorized chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 despite limited clinical evidence supporting its efficacy. This decision follows some preliminary results coming out of China and France in March 2020, where a few small clinical trials showed limited success of the medication.
On June 15th 2020, the U.S. FDA revoked the special permission to use chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in emergency situations for COVID-19, citing that these drugs are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19 and highlighting serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects reported in studies.
Context and background
Hydroxycloroquine is a medication currently prescribed for preventing or treating malaria, an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans from mosquitos. It is also prescribed as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which are both autoimmune diseases.
When faced with an unknown virus like COVID-19 and without a specific vaccine and treatment, one of the best medical strategies is to look among the medications already available and clinically tested to see if any of them are effective. As their risks, benefits, and side effects have already been studied (without allowing safety tests to be ignored), this could speed up research. One of these is hydroxychloroquine.
When trying to find treatments for COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine was tested on hospitalized patients. Preliminary results suggested some benefit to COVID-19 patients, however, the most updated recent analysis concludes that hydroxychloroquine provides no benefit to hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Hydroxycloroquine is a medication currently prescribed for preventing or treating malaria, an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans from mosquitos. It is also prescribed as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which are both autoimmune diseases.
When faced with an unknown virus like COVID-19 and without a specific vaccine and treatment, one of the best medical strategies is to look among the medications already available and clinically tested to see if any of them are effective. As their risks, benefits, and side effects have already been studied (without allowing safety tests to be ignored), this could speed up research. One of these is hydroxychloroquine.
When trying to find treatments for COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine was tested on hospitalized patients. Preliminary results suggested some benefit to COVID-19 patients, however, the most updated recent analysis concludes that hydroxychloroquine provides no benefit to hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Resources
- Hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with COVID-19 (NIH)
- Hydroxychloroquine in the prevention of COVID-19 mortality (The Lancet)
- Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 (NEJM)
- FDA revokes the emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (U.S. FDA)
- FDA cautions against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to a risk of heart rhythm problems (U.S. FDA)
- Research paper: Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial (BMJ)
- Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19 (NEJM)
- Hydroxychloroquine use against SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-human primates (Nature)
- Investigational therapeutics for patients with COVID-19 (U.S. CDC)
- Research Update: Hydroxychloroquine in Nonhospitalized Adults With Early COVID-19 (AIM)
- Trial update: Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Preliminary results from a multi-centre, randomized, controlled trial. (medRxiv)
- Trial update: No clinical benefit from use of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (Recovery Trial)
- Information about "compassionate use" (U.S. FDA)
- Research paper: A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 (NEJM)
- Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine for Treatment or Prophylaxis of COVID-19: A Living Systematic Review (AIM)
- Research paper: Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial (BMJ)
- Research paper: Association of Treatment With Hydroxychloroquine or Azithromycin With In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With COVID-19 in New York State (JAMA)
- Research paper: Observational Study of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 (NEJM)
- Hydroxychloroquine does not benefit adults hospitalized with COVID-19 (NIH)
- Hydroxychloroquine in the prevention of COVID-19 mortality (The Lancet)
- Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 (NEJM)
- FDA revokes the emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (U.S. FDA)
- FDA cautions against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to a risk of heart rhythm problems (U.S. FDA)
- Research paper: Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial (BMJ)
- Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19 (NEJM)
- Hydroxychloroquine use against SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-human primates (Nature)
- Investigational therapeutics for patients with COVID-19 (U.S. CDC)
- Research Update: Hydroxychloroquine in Nonhospitalized Adults With Early COVID-19 (AIM)
- Trial update: Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Preliminary results from a multi-centre, randomized, controlled trial. (medRxiv)
- Trial update: No clinical benefit from use of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (Recovery Trial)
- Information about "compassionate use" (U.S. FDA)
- Research paper: A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 (NEJM)
- Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine for Treatment or Prophylaxis of COVID-19: A Living Systematic Review (AIM)
- Research paper: Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial (BMJ)
- Research paper: Association of Treatment With Hydroxychloroquine or Azithromycin With In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With COVID-19 in New York State (JAMA)
- Research paper: Observational Study of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19 (NEJM)
