Hydroxychloroquine

Evidence suggests hydroxychloroquine may play a role in glucose homeostasis among select individuals with type 2 diabetes; however, data on long-term safety and efficacy are lacking, particularly in the setting of COVID-19.

The average patient who received hydroxychloroquine for a rheumatic disease was unlikely to achieve the total serum or plasma concentration necessary to inhibit the coronavirus in vitro, particularly at dosages of less than 400 mg per day, according to data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

A recent study published in The Lancet further questions the safety and usefulness of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, according to researchers. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

In late March, the FDA authorized emergency use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19. It later approved an abbreviated new drug application for the drug in response to a surge in demand.

Combination therapy with TNF inhibitors plus methotrexate was significantly superior to triple therapy with methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, both in terms of persistence and improved disease activity, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

A randomized phase 2 clinical trial will assess hydroxychloroquine for prevention of COVID-19 infection among patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer.

The rise and fall of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as “game-changing” treatments for COVID-19 should come as no surprise to experts who have paid attention to the history of these drugs, according to findings published in The FASEB Journal.

Current evidence does not support the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine — alone or in combination with azithromycin — to treat or prevent COVID-19 outside of clinical trials, according to practice points published by the ACP in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Despite a lack of trials demonstrating the efficacy of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, promotion and use of the two treatments has led to shortages, self-treatment and fatal overdoses, according to a perspective published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The perspective suggests that African countries “strongly consider” putting prescription monitoring programs in place to ensure that off-label use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine is appropriate and beneficial for the treatment of COVID-19.

A new study led by the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit will evaluate whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 in health care workers and first responders. This was the top story in cardiology last week.