Doctors Turn to Malaria Drugs as Potential Coronavirus Treatment

Doctors and hospitals are turning to chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients infected with COVID-19, as the antimalarial drugs have both shown early signs of improving symptoms of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19, based on reports by doctors and researchers in South Korea, France and China, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The University of Minnesota recently began enrolling patients in the first US coronavirus clinical trial to test hydroxychloroquine, evaluating the drug in healthcare workers and people who live with infected patients.

Meanwhile, chloroquine is among the drugs to be studied in a multinational trial announced this week by the World Health Organization, and it is a recommended treatment in China and South Korea.

At least four drugmakers, inluding Bayer, Teva and Mylan, have said they are donating hydroxychloroquine to institutions or increasing production of the compound, with analysts at Piper Sandler noting that at least 10 companies manufacture hydroxychloroquine for the US.

There has been “extraordinary” demand for chloroquine, though any previous supply issues have been resolved, said Ira Baeringer, Rising Pharma chief operating officer.

Mr. Baeringer noted the company is not marketing or promoting the drug to treat COVID-19 but increasing production and donating it for research, adding that after increasing the drug’s price, the company reverted to the original price this week and planned to lower it again because of the outbreak.