Hydroxychloroquine trial for COVID-19 begins amid political debate

Enlarge / US President Donald Trump (L), flanked by US Vice President Mike Pence, speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 9, 2020, in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty | Jim Watson)

The US National Institutes of Health on Thursday began a clinical trial to treat adult COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that President Trump has repeatedly promoted during the pandemic despite a lack of evidence for its effectiveness against the new coronavirus.

The trial is one of dozens underway to test the drug, which is currently used to treat malaria and rheumatoid conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. At this point it only has mixed, anecdotal evidence to support its use against COVID-19.

But that hasn't stopped President Trump from repeatedly promoting it as a promising treatment and calling for its use. In tweets last month, Trump said that a combination treatment of hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin "have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine." He followed the declaration saying he hoped they will "be put in use IMMEDIATELY."

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