Unfavorable opinion for hydroxychloroquine in France

The verdict on the use of hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19 has fallen and it is unfavorable! The opinion delivered by the High Council of Public Health and the Medicines Agency is based on a study pointing out its ineffectiveness and its risks. Treatments are stopped and ongoing clinical trials, including those conducted by WHO, are suspended as a precaution.

In a notice requested by the Ministry of Health, the High Council of Public Health (HCSP) recommends to " do not use hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid-19 »Out clinical tests, whether alone or associated with a antibiotic. For its part,Drug agency (ANSM) announced that it has launched the procedure for suspending "precautionary" clinical trials evaluating hydroxychloroquine in patients with Covid-19. These opinions follow the publication of a study pointing out the ineffectiveness and the risks of this drug for the patients of Covid-19.

Limited and controlled use of hydroxychloroquine

The publication of this study in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet has already prompted theWHO (World Health Organization) to suspend on Monday the clinical trials it is carrying out with hydroxychloroquine in several countries, as a precautionary measure. In France, apart from clinical trials, the use of hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19 is authorized in hospitals only and only for serious cases on the collegial decision of doctors.

Saturday at light of the study of Lancet, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran had contacted the HCSP to ask him " a revision of the derogating prescription rules ", Set by a decree. In its highly anticipated opinion, the HCSP recommends " not to use hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with macrolide (a family of antibiotics, editor's note) in the treatment of Covid-19 " He also advocates " to evaluate the risk-benefit of the use of hydroxychloroquine in therapeutic trials (and) to strengthen national and international regulation of the various trials evaluating hydroxychloroquine in Covid-19 "

And suspension of clinical trials

For its part, the suspension in clinical tests requested by the ANSM will take effect after a period of 24 hours of adversarial procedure with the organizers of these tests. Sixteen trials have been authorized in France to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid. " Patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine as part of these clinical trials may continue to do so until the end of the protocol. “, Adds the ANSM.

Derived from the chloroquine (medicine against malaria), hydroxychloroquine is prescribed to combat autoimmune diseases, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. It is one of the many treatments tested since the start of theepidemic again coronavirus, but its use in this case is the subject of a lively controversy.

One of its main promoters is the professor Didier raoult, from the Institut hospitalo universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée-Infection in Marseille, which uses it in patients with minor forms, in combination with an antibiotic from the macrolide family, azithromycin. In a video posted on Monday (see below), the Pr Raoult ruled that the study of Lancet was "messed up" and rejected her findings.

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