Another multi centric open label Randomized controlled clinical trial on 150 patients treated with #hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) versus standard care for #COVID19

In short: No ≠ between HCQ and non HCQ for viral load and clinical outcome

-> thread

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.10.20060558v1

This is a multi center (16 centers), randomized, parallel, open-label, trial of oral HCQ in #COVID19 hospitalized patients.

Incl criteria: >18 y/o, #SARSCoV2 +, in hospital, consent, no prior treatment

Excl criteria: allergy, pregnancy...

Outcome:

#SARSCoV2 viral load at 4,7,10,14,21,28 days

Clinical outcome: clinical symptoms (fever, SpO2, cough

Biology outcome: CRP, ESR, IL-6, TNFa

191 participants -> 41 excluded

150 randomized

HCQ group (75) -> 1, 200 mg daily for three days followed by a
maintained dose of 800 mg daily for the remaining days -> 2or 3 weeks

Non HCQ group(75) -> standard of care

Patient characteristic similar between the two groups

Primary outcome #SARSCoV2 tests. No difference in outcome between HCQ 85% vs SOC 81%. No ≠ at any time point
Secondary outcome: Symptoms: Again no ≠ between HCQ and SOC in alleviation of symptoms except maybe in the 2nd week of treatment
Biol outcome: CRP lower in HCQ group

Safety: significant adverse events in the HCQ group (7 patients) vs 2 patients in SOC.
Commonly diarrhea. 1 HCQ patient discontinued due t blurred vision
Cardiac side effects not checked

In conclusion from this multi centric RCT: Overall relatively well performed

No difference in clinical outcome or viral load between HCQ and non HCQ group
Lower CRP value and less lymphopenia in HCQ group but we don't treat biological values in medicine

Finally from the last sets of randomized clinical trials I cannot see a clear benefit of HCQ administration to #COVID19 patients. Safety is still a concern. Of course accumulation of data will give a better picture of HCQ efficacy

For now HCQ is not as promising as advertised