Clinical trials l The only hope against this perilous COVID-19 crisis is developing a drug to treat it or a vaccine to prevent infection.
The Pharma companies and Research centers all around the world are up for the task and are trying to find a timely solution for this global problem.
Where some are trying to develop vaccines and treatment drugs, some companies are trying to assess the existing FDA/EMA approved drugs for their ability to fight with COVID-19.
Chloroquine clinical trials
One of those drugs is Chloroquine, approved as the Anti-Malarial medicine, has a high chance of being an effective drug to fight the Virus.
One might wonder that what is chloroquine and why it is been researched for treating the COVID-19. One thing to consider before discussing the drug is that it is not a vaccine and neither a cure. It has been shown to effectively deal with Malarial infection for the past 80 years.
Hydroxychloroquine is one form of it that’s less toxic and hence It can be used to treat the symptoms in Patient of COVID-19.
The WHO has advised the medical health care community to use the drug in strict supervision and extreme circumstances in severe cases only.
While FDA has approved the emergency use of Chloroquine in the USA in treating seriously ill patients, Europe has started clinical trials for the use of the drug for treating COVID-19 patients.
Clinical trials in France
France has taken it up to conduct the clinical trials. As per the results of the study conducted in the University hospital institution of France, 75% of the 24 patients have been treated and gotten better in using a form of Chloroquine (hydroxychloroquine).
While there are some critics of the study who believe that the research was done on a very small and limited number of patients hence the results cannot be generalized that Chloroquine is an effective cure for Novel Coronavirus.
The risks around it
Despite the WHO’s warning of not using the unapproved drugs for treating COVID-19, some doctors think that it is the only option at hand since there is no drug available right now to fight this pandemic. The benefits of the drug seem to outweigh the risks. Although the risks are not easy to estimate without running proper clinical trials.
This Pandemic has hit Healthcare Industry hard. Making decisions in these times of crisis requires an intense evaluation of the benefits and risks of the Actions by authorities and doctors.
This critical decision to use chloroquine for treating COVID-19 patients is an important one, that can only be strengthened by the profound clinical trials. Several institutions and countries taking that responsibility provides high hope of fighting this disease.
