WHO Ends Trial Of Chloroquine As Treatment For COVID-19

The World Health Organisation has stopped the trial of Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.

WHO said evidence has shown that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, does not reduce the mortality rate of COVID-19.

“The Solidarity Trial’s hydroxychloroquine arm is being stopped, on the basis of evidence showing it does not reduce mortality for hospitalised #COVID19 patients,” it said.

The Solidarity Trial's hydroxychloroquine arm is being stopped, on the basis of evidence showing it does not reduce mortality for hospitalised #COVID19 patients.

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 17, 2020

The agency had earlier suspended the trial on the use of the drug for the treatment of COVID-19 patients after a study published by The Lancet claimed chloroquine had no positive effect on the treatment of COVID-19 among 96,032 sampled patients.

The study also reported a higher mortality rate among those who used the drug.

But on June 3, the organisation made a U-turn and said it was resuming clinical trial of the drug.

This was after a report revealed that the clinical trial of the drug was suspended based on questionable data.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said findings by the WHO data safety monitoring board revealed that there was no reason to discontinue the trial after reviewing available data on the drug.