© George Frey, AFPHydroxychloroquine tablets sold at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020
Last week, a
study published in British medical journal The Lancet found patients randomized to get hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had increased mortality rates and higher frequency of irregular heartbeats.
HCQ is normally prescribed to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but US President Donald Trump and others have touted it as a possible treatment for Covid-19.
The drug has been the subject of
much debate in France, where "maverick" Professor Didier Raoult claimed in March to have successfully treated Covid-19 patients using a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
However, doctors have questioned the value of Professor Raoult's study, saying it was poorly designed and based on too small a sample to offer hard evidence of benefit.
Last month the European Medicines Agency warned that there was no indication HCQ could treat Covid-19 and said some studies had seen serious and sometimes fatal heart problems in patients.
Comment: The only concern the WHO has is ensuring people think there's nothing that can help people fight COVID-19 except a vaccine, and unfortunately France isn't the only country listening to those liars and
rejecting hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment:
Italy and Belgium have joined France in moving to ban the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 patients as questions continue to mount over its safety.
On Wednesday, France revoked its decree authorizing the prescription of the anti-malarial drug for the novel coronavirus following a decision from the government's health advisory agency.
Now Belgium's health body has warned against using the drug outside of ongoing registered clinical trials.
Italy's health authorities also concluded that there is too little evidence to support the use of hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 and that the lack of proof means it should be banned outside of clinical trials.
The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) also cited new clinical evidence on the use of the drug which "indicates an increased risk for adverse reactions with little or no benefit."
"Pending obtaining more solid evidence from the clinical trials that are underway both in Italy and in other countries of the world," the decision was made to suspend the authorization of its use in hospitals and at home, AIFA said.
A new study published in the Lancet medical journal could not confirm a benefit of taking the drug as a treatment against the virus. It found that taking the drug was actually associated with increased risks of in-hospital death for Covid-19 patients.
Britain's pharmaceutical regulator also said Wednesday that a hydroxychloroquine trial by the University of Oxford has been "paused" less than a week after it began due to safety concerns. It said other trials of the anti-malaria drug for the treatment of Covid-19 remain "under close review."
When was the last time a drug trial was paused less than a week after it began because of "safety concerns"?
Comment: The only concern the WHO has is ensuring people think there's nothing that can help people fight COVID-19 except a vaccine, and unfortunately France isn't the only country listening to those liars and rejecting hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment: When was the last time a drug trial was paused less than a week after it began because of "safety concerns"?