After World Health Organization (WHO) stopped Solidarity Trial of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), 22 trial sites in India to stop HCQ research.
According to a report by Indian Express, Twenty-two trial sites in the country will stop the hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) arm of the Solidarity Trial to find an effective Covid-19 treatment following the WHO’s announcement that the drug was futile in reducing mortality in hospitalized coronavirus patients.
On Thursday, while addressing a press briefing from Geneva on the latest coronavirus drug trial findings, World Health Organisation's chief scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, on Thursday said that the agency is optimistic and hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccines could be available before the end of this year. The top WHO scientist also said that clinical trials have now definitively shown that anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine does not have an impact on preventing deaths from COVID-19.
Clarifying the WHO's position on hydroxychloroquine, famously called "game-changer" by US President Donald Trump in the fight against coronavirus, she said that separate clinical trials had shown the "futility" of carrying on testing the drug as a means to cut mortality rates from the deadly virus. The scientist explained that the WHO-led Solidarity clinical trial data safety monitoring committee looked at the interim data and found there was no mortality benefit in the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine.
(Inputs from Agencies)
