HCQ- Drug against deadly Coronavirus

Dr. Ruchi Khajuria
Amidst of pandemic SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the cause of COVID-19), the use of drug Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has gained traction globally. Why this emerging antidote has garnered global interest and why it is being touted as a game-changer in the world’s fight against the deadly coronavirus. What makes it so important that even world leaders Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro have been seeking Indian exports of this drug to battle COVID-19. But first of all we need to know about this warrior drug Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and what it is used for.
Hydroxychloroquine (not to be confused with anti malarial drug chloroquine) is an oral medication used in the treatment of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of joints), lupus (inflammatory diseases) and porphyia cutanea tarda (blood disorder that affects the skin). But is HCQ actually effective for COVID-19. The answer is “NO”. HCQ has not yet been proven to cure coronavirus. However, studies published in International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents have shown that the combination of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin drug can bring down the viral loads in COVID-19 patients. Clinical trials are on in certain countries like UK, USA, Spain and Australia but experts suggest that larger clinical trials are needed on patients to test the effectiveness of the drug.
India is the largest manufacturer and supplier of hydroxychloroquine accounting for about 70 percent of the world’s supply. According to Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), companies like Zydus, Cadila and IPCA are the major manufacturers in our country. Each of these companies can produce 1.5 million tablets of this drug every day. On March 25, India had banned its exports with some exceptions in the midst of the views that the drug could be used to fight COVID-19. It is important to mention here that this drug is not manufactured in developed nations such as US because of the non-existent malaria. Although it is not 100 percent proven that hydroxychloroquine could cure COVID-19, still it has generated massive interest after Trump endorsed the drug due to its anti-viral properties and called it a ‘Game-changer’ in the fight against Coronavirus. Infact, Trump had threatened India via tweet in April “US could retaliate if India does not release stocks of Hydroxychloroquine” but when India agreed to lift the ban, then there was a change in Trump’s stance which he conveyed by tweeting again, “Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!”. India has now approved to ship HCQ tablets to 13 countries in first consignment. The list includes US, Spain, Germany, Bahrain, Brazil, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Dominican Republic. Till now, more than 16 lakh people globally tested positive and more than one lakh have died.
In India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended the use of this drug for those involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and for asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed patients. Various research studies are going on the effectiveness of this warrior hydroxychloroquine and mixed results are getting. Many clinical studies across the world are currently underway to find a treatment for COVID-19 and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is working with various government agencies, academic centers and biopharmaceutical companies to expedite the process. What the Government is doing hopefully will limit the spread of pandemic in the population.
(The author is a teacher, GHSS Rehal Bishnah)
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