Coronavirus: What is hydroxychloroquine and why is New Zealand throwing money at it? – Stuff.co.nz

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A New Zealand website is claiming that Covid-19 can be cured by drinking bleach. Video first published May 28.

The once-obscure drug Hydroxychloroquine has rocketed into global prominence, labelled everything from snake oil to a Covid-19 miracle cure.

US president Donald Trump said last month that the drug, in combination with another, ha[s] a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine, a claim widely panned. In response, New Zealand's drug agency Pharmac even had to put new restrictions on the use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent Kiwis following the president's advice.

This week the drug was suspended from the WHO's trail of potential Covid-19 treatments, after a new study published in the Lancet found it increases the risk of death and heart problems for infected patients.

READ MORE: * Nearly $2m for Kiwi scientists to research Trump-promoted drug * Coronavirus: WHO halts hydroxychloroquine testing over safety concerns * Coronavirus: Trump's 'game-changing' drug linked to increased risk of death, study says

But what is Hydroxychloroquine and why are Kiwi scientists still spending millions to researching the drugs effect on Covid-19?

WHAT IS HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE?

Hydroxychloroquine is a once-a-day pill that was approved decades ago to treat malaria. It is also used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

AP

Pharmac put restrictions on hydroxychloroquine tablets following a March 21 Trump tweet which promoted the drug.

WHY HAS HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE BEEN CONSIDERED AS A POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR COVID-19?

Small laboratory studies showed Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine can block coronavirus infection in a test tube, but it is not yet clear how the drug works against the virus in the human body.

Reports from doctors in France found Covid-19 patients had been successfully treated using the controversial drug in combination with Azithromycin. However, France's health ministry has since barred its use for coronavirus cases, following the Lancet study.

Last month doctors in China reported it helped speed the recovery of a few patients, although researchers said more research was needed.

CAN HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE STOP YOU CATCHING COVID-19?

There is no evidence to suggest it can stop you catching Covid-19, although Kiwi scientists, as well as those overseas, are trying to find the answer.

Scientists in New Zealand have been awarded $1.96m across four projects to trial and research the drug.

This includes a clinical trial to see if it can stop healthcare workers from catching the virus, funded by the Health Research Council.

IS HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE BEING GIVEN TO PATIENTS NOW?

None of the clinical trials involving hydroxychloroquine have recruited patients yet, with researchers looking at new evidence as it emerges - including the Lancet paper and WHO response.

The trial on healthcare workers isn't expected to start until Covid-19 case numbers start increasing.

Clinical trials have high standards and need ethics approval before they can start. They also get ongoing regulatory oversight to ensure no one is harmed.

IF IT LEADS TO HEART PROBLEMS AND INCREASES THE RISK OF DEATH, WHY ARE KIWI SCIENTISTS STUDYING IT?

While the Lancet study concluded there was an increased risk of dying when the drug was used on patients hospitalised from Covid-19 - as well as an increase in abnormal heartbeats - it is still a leading contender for a possible cure.

The jury is still out as to its overall effectiveness, and an expert said this is why it should still be studied here.

The WHO has suspended it's trial of the drug while it reviews its data, but is expected to come back with its findings.

IS THERE ANY DANGER IN TAKING HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE?

Like any drug, it has side effects. Those who take the drug take regular eye screenings because it can cause damage to your retina, the light-sensitive coating at the back of your eye.

Other side effects include nausea and vomitting, headaches, dizziness and nervousness.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE PROJECTS

Clinical trial on frontline healthcare workers

$427,130 from the Health Research Council

Australasian Covid-19 trial

$766,113 from the Health Research Council

Clinical trial for Covid-19 treatments on the critically ill

$169,571 from the Health Research Council as part of a joint research project

Douglas Pharmaceuticals to evaluate whether hydroxychloroquine reduces the risk to frontline healthcare workers of acquiring Covid-19

$600,000 from MBIE's Covid-19 Innovation Acceleration fund

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