Hydroxychloroquine trial suspended over safety fears

The World Health Organisation has suspended trials of hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment over safety concerns.

Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug that is used to control autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus.  

It has been seen as a potential treatment for coronavirus, with even US president Donald Trump saying he had begun taking the drug.

Speaking today, Who director general Dr Tedros Adhanom said that trials of the drug as a coronavirus treatment had started around two months ago.

He said that initial findings suggested a higher mortality rate among Covid-19 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

There will now be a temporary pause of the trials while the safety data is reviewed to evaluate the potential benefits and harms of the drug.

Dr Tedros said he wanted to reiterate that the drugs can continue to be used safely by patients with autoimmune disease or malaria. 

It comes after Donald Trump, 73, said he had been taking the drug ‘for about a week and a half now’, going against the advice of his administration’s top medics.

The US Government’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against its use outside of hospitals because it can cause heart problems.

Side effects can include headaches, nausea, stomach pain, skin rash, itching, and hair loss, according to Drugs.com.

During a press briefing last week, Trump said his White House doctor had not recommended it to him, but that he requested it, adding: ‘I started taking it, because I think it’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good stories.’

He brushed off concerns over the drug’s side effects, while claiming ‘many, many’ frontline workers ‘are taking it’ and ‘a lot of doctors take it’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.