Why the Hydroxychloroquine Hype is Unjustified

In the race to find a vaccine or treatment for the novel COVID-19 outbreak, there’s been no shortage of hype surrounding hydroxychloroquine. The disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) is used to treat malaria, as well as other inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and systemic disease.

While hydroxychloroquine has been heavily endorsed by Donald Trump, as well as health experts such as French physician Didier Raoult, there’s still minimal evidence the drug is an effective treatment for COVID-19. On the contrary, some warn the anti-malarial drug is receiving a disproportionate level of attention that could be directing researchers away from other, potentially more effective, treatments.

The scientists challenging hydroxychloroquine

Rick Bright, an American immunologist and former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority responsible for managing pandemics, is one of the latest casualties of the hydroxychloroquine hype. Bright says that after resisting the Trump administration’s heavy endorsement of hydroxychloroquine on the base the claims “clearly lack scientific merit”, he was forced out of his job.

“While I am prepared to look at all options and to think ‘outside the box’ for effective treatments, I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public,” said Bright in a statement.

So far, no studies exploring the potential benefits of hydroxychloroquine have made it through the demanding peer review process, or delivered scientifically proven results through large scale, randomised controlled trials (RCT). While some are currently underway, no solid evidence has been found.

French study fuels excitement

The hype surrounding hydroxychloroquine was also spurred by a controversial French study spearheaded by Didier Raoult. It suggested hydroxychloroquine has the capacity to significantly reduce viral load when used in conjunction with an antibiotic known as azithromycin. It was published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (IJAA) and won headlines around the world. Though despite buoyant results, critics say the clinical outcomes were downplayed and the results were mischaracterised to promote hydroxychloroquine.

FDA forced to issue hydroxychloroquine warning

Widespread touting of hydroxychloroquine has also forced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a warning against DIY use of hydroxychloroquine. In the United States there were multiple cases of people self-dosing with hydroxychloroquine outside a hospital or clinical trial setting, which led to multiple poisonings and deaths.

From drug development to clinical trials, science will play a critical role in the race to find a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19. To find out more about the role of CHNS analysis within the pharmaceutical industry, don’t miss ‘Elemental Analysis for Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Manufacturing.