The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that clinical trials of Hydroxychloroquine will resume, the drug could possibly be used for treating Covid-19.
On 25 May, the WHO announced that it had temporarily suspended these trials to conduct a safety review. The review concluded and the findings say there is “no reason” to change the way in which the trials are being conducted.
The decision previously made by the UN health agency came after the Lancet Medical Journal published a study suggesting that the drug could increase the risk of death among COVID-19 patients.
Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but public figures, including US President Donald Trump, have backed the drug for COVID-19 prevention and treatment, which has prompted governments to bulk-buy.
“Last week, the executive group of the Solidarity Trial decided to implement a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm of the trial, because of concerns raised about the safety of the drug,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news briefing.
“This decision was taken as a precaution while the safety data were reviewed. The data safety and monitoring committee of the Solidarity Trial has been reviewing the data. On the basis of the available mortality data, the members of the committee recommended that there are no reasons to modify the trial protocol.”
“The executive group received this recommendation and endorsed the continuation of all arms of the Solidarity Trial, including hydroxychloroquine.”
“The data safety and monitoring committee will continue to closely monitor the safety of all therapeutics being tested in the Solidarity Trial.”
More than 3,500 patients have reportedly been recruited across 35 countries to take part in the trials.
