Clin Pharmacol . Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19: The Study Points to Premature Decisions on Efficacy While Bells Ringing for Safety

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Clin Pharmacol


. 2020 Aug 17;12:115-121.
doi: 10.2147/CPAA.S269156. eCollection 2020.
Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19: The Study Points to Premature Decisions on Efficacy While Bells Ringing for Safety


Sitaram Khadka ¹ , Dhan Bahadur Shrestha ² , Pravash Budhathoki ³ , Era Rawal ⁴



Affiliations

• PMID: 32904117
• PMCID: PMC7450277
• DOI: 10.2147/CPAA.S269156

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been a global disease burden. It has affected more than sixteen million people in the world within seven months of its first outbreak in Wuhan. Different treatment modalities, therapeutic and prophylactic agents for its therapy are underway. Until the proven therapy gets available, repurposing of drugs is a better way out. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been a potential recourse of treatment in this regard for COVID-19 management. As different episodes of cardiac adverse events of HCQ are reported, safety concerns are now a prime objective. The risk-benefit analysis is mandatory to address rational drug therapy even in such a global health crisis. In this article, we want to evaluate the safety and efficacy of HCQ in COVID-19 management.

Keywords: COVID-19; cardiac arrhythmia; drug repositioning; hydroxychloroquine; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2.