March 24, 2020 Update 4: Health agencies are now warning coronavirus patients not to self-medicate with chloroquine as Arizona man dies after taking a form of chloroquine used to clean aquarium (MUST READ).
March 24, 2020 Update 3: Given the success of the two anti-malaria drugs, renowned French research Didier Raoult and the leader of the French study, said in his first interview with U.S. Dr. Oz that it is unethical to deny coronavirus patients access to hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (z-pak).
On March 18, we published a story about a new study published by NIH which shows that Hydroxychloroquine has been found to be more effective and potent than chloroquine in vitro treatment of coronavirus. While the media is focused on the vaccine race and leaving the discussion of THERAPEUTICS almost completely neglected, a recent well controlled clinical study conducted by Didier Raoult M.D/Ph.D, et. al in France showed that 100% of patients that received a combination of HCQ and Azithromycin tested negative and were virologically cured within 6 days of treatment. According to a new unearthed paper, new evidence shows CDC knew since at least 2005 that chloroquine is effective against coronaviruses.
In the meantime, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the ‘compassionate use’ of chloroquine to treat coronavirus patients in the United States. In addition, recent guidelines from South Korea and China report that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are effective antiviral therapeutic treatments for novel coronavirus.
A therapeutic agent that prevents infection with novel coronavirus is highly desirable–especially for persons with high-risk exposure (e.g healthcare professionals) as well as persons with comorbidities (heart disease, diabetes, etc) and compromised immune systems. Ground-breaking in vitro studies demonstrate potential efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic for novel coronavirus infection in primate cells.
Note: Hydroxychloroquine (brand name Plaquenil) is an inexpensive, globally available drug (tablet) that was approved for widespread medical use since 1955. It is commonly used today to treat malaria, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
The study is part of the initiative from an independent group of scientists and physicians working on an open-data clinical trial for prevention of COVID-19, through the use of hydroxychloroquine in combination with other therapeutic agents. The group is now calling on President Trump to allow Americans to use the drug.
Unlike a typical commercial drug trial, the objective of the group is to share trial data with the public* and health-care professionals as close to real-time as possible (with a reasonable level of data quality assurance). Given the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, the group is looking for every possible means to fast-track the effort. You can read their draft paper at https://www.covidtrial.io/
March 23, 2020 Update 2: WHO launches global ‘Solidarity trial’ of the four most promising drugs for effective treatments of coronavirus starting with 8 countries. The trial will test four different drugs or combinations – remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine.
March 20, 2020 Update 1: Coronavirus treatment breakthrough: French study confirms that a combination of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Azithromycin are effective in treating COVID-19 patients.
Below is a video from Didier Raoult M.D/Ph.D.
Here is another video talking about Hydroxychloroquine
