The FDA cautioned against the use of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients, citing risks of serious heart rhythm problems
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday cautioned against the use of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients even as President Donald Trump, who has touted it as a “game changer,” advocated for an additional review.
Trump said he had just spoken with the president of Honduras, who had touted the drug when calling to ask for ventilators. “If it works I think everyone would be in favor of it... check with him, call him.” There are several randomized trials underway in the United States and elsewhere, with the National Institutes of Health last week starting a study to evaluate the safety and the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine.
The FDA’s announcement comes a day after the European Union’s drug regulator warned of side effects of the drugs, urging medical professionals to closely monitor patients on the medicines. The heart rhythm risks may increase when the medicines are combined with other drugs, such as antibiotic azithromycin, as well as in patients with existing heart and kidney disease, the agency said on Friday.
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