COVID-19: chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine only to be used in clinical trials or emergency use programmes

EMA

1 April 2020 - Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, two medicines currently authorised for malaria and certain autoimmune diseases, are being investigated worldwide for their potential to treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, efficacy in treating COVID-19 is yet to be shown in studies.

It is very important that patients and healthcare professionals only use chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for their authorised uses or as part of clinical trials or national emergency use programmes for the treatment of COVID-19.

Both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects, especially at high doses or when combined with other medicines. They must not be used without a prescription and without supervision by a doctor; prescriptions should not be given outside their authorised uses except in the setting of a clinical trial or nationally agreed protocols.

Read EMA press release

Michael Wonder

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Michael Wonder

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Medicine , Europe , Regulation , COVID-19