Ask HN: Any clinical trials / RWE companies studying HCQ for Covid-19?

3 points

6 years ago

Some of the most promising potential treatments for COVID-19 are chloroquine (CQ, a malaria medicine) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a less toxic version of choloroquine that is used for malaria as well as lupus and arthritis. Here is the current prescribing info for CQ [0] and HCQ [1]

These drugs are already approved. There is emerging evidence that these drugs are promising (see below refs). But the evidence is VERY preliminary. WHO is organizing a much larger study to test these and other drugs [2]. Other companies are also ramping up studies. But it will take time to generate the data

Because HCQ is fairly non-toxic, it might make sense for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients to take this as a preventative measure. They are already low on protective equipment and at high risk

But we need to study whether the drugs actually work. Are there companies that can help run "virtual" studies -- where HCPs can take the drug, record their doses taken, health characteristics, and clinical outcomes? This would balance need for data collection with need for immediate tx for HCPs

[0] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/006002s044lbl.pdf

[1] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/009768s037s045s047lbl.pdf

[2] https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/who-to-launch-multinational-trial-to-jumpstart-search-for-coronavirus-drugs/

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1643141/world

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41421-020-0156-0

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32150618

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32164085