Breakthrough: Chloroquine phosphate has shown apparent efficacy in treatment of COVID-19 associated pneumonia in clinical studies

Biosci Trends. 2020 Mar 16;14(1):72-73. doi: 10.5582/bst.2020.01047. Epub 2020 Feb 19.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus is spreading rapidly, and scientists are endeavoring to discover drugs for its efficacious treatment in China. Chloroquine phosphate, an old drug for treatment of malaria, is shown to have apparent efficacy and acceptable safety against COVID-19 associated pneumonia in multicenter clinical trials conducted in China. The drug is recommended to be included in the next version of the Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Pneumonia Caused by COVID-19 issued by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China for treatment of COVID-19 infection in larger populations in the future.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; chloroquine; pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • China
  • Chloroquine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Drug Repositioning
  • Humans
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • chloroquine diphosphate
  • Chloroquine