New U-turn from WHO... After halting back in late May trials on hydroxychloroquine, and resuming because of the polemic studeied released in The Lancet, the organization has halted clinical trials around the molecule again this Wednesday June 17, 2020.
"The internal evidence from the Solidarity/Discovery Trial, the external evidence from the Recovery Trial and the combined evidence from these large randomised trials, brought together, suggest that hydroxychloroquine – when compared with the standard of care in the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients – does not result in the reduction of the mortality of those patients" WHO's health emergencies programme doctor Ana Maria Henao Restrepo said during a press conference.
She added "After deliberation, they have concluded that the hydroxychloroquine arm will be stopped from the Solidarity Trial."
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are at the heart of research for a cure against covid-19. In France, but also across the globe, hospitals have been treating some of their patients with this molecule and report results to compare them with other medications available. So, the biggest study of this kind, the Solidarity trial, supported by WHO has started on March 18, 2020. For the record, this study covers 400 hospitals in 35 countries and includes 3,500 patients infected by coronavirus.
This Monday May 25, 2020, WHO has said they wanted to take time and review data collected in the Solidarity trial in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine. They asked to stop hydroxychloroquine treatments as long as the review lasts.
"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"-@DrTedros #COVID19
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 25, 2020
This decision has been announced by WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a digital press conference. This decision follows the release of a study about using chloroquine in the American medical magazine “The Lancet” released on May 22, 2020.
With data already collected, WHO analysts hope to show by themselves the benefit/risk effect of chloroquine as a cure against covid-19 before including this medication in the Solidarity trial again. In a release, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recalls that chloroquine is without danger to cure malaria.
As for him, French professor Raoult keeps on promoting his treatment. According to the infectious disease specialist and microbiology professor, “studies against this treatment are mainly studies carried out with data, not sick”. Authorized in France since March 2020 chloroquine could be banned again as a cure against covid-19, as asked by Olivier Véran who said to have ordered an inquiry as well.
