Published 17:06 IST, May 29th 2020
ICMR disagrees with WHO's suspension of HCQ trials, cites 'vast difference' in dosage
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday wrote to WHO expressing their disagreement over the suspension of HCQ trials for COVID-19 treatment
Shortly after the World Health Organization's (WHO) suspended all hydroxychloroquine trials (HCQ) for treating COVID-19 patients, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) wrote to WHO expressing their disagreement over the suspension of the anti-malarial drug.
In a major decision, the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Executive Group, on Monday, decided to temporarily pause the Hydroxychlorine (HCQ) trial while the data collected so far is reviewed, announced WHO chief Dr Tedros in a press briefing. The ICMR stated that the primary point of their difference in opinion with the WHO was the dosage standards between Indian and international trials which the bodies said would explain the efficacy issues of HCQ in treating COVID-19 patients.
Currently, as per protocols set by the Indian government to treat severe coronavirus patients, a certain amount of HCQ dosage is being administered. Speaking to news agency ANI, a Health Ministry official explained the vast difference between this dosage and that being studied in international trails.
"Internationally in Solidarity trial COVID-19 patients are being administered with--800 mg x 2 loading doses 6 hours apart followed by 400 mg x 2 doses per day for 10 days. The total dosage given to a patient over 11 days is about 9600 mg which is four times higher than the dose we are giving to our patients," said a Health Ministry official to news agency ANI.
"This indicates that in our treatment protocol, the efficacy of HCQ is good and patients are recovering quickly with less amount of dosage being administered," added the official.
HCQ tablets had had significant preliminary success emerging as a breakthrough in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In a letter, Dr Sheela Godbole, National Coordinator of the WHO-India Solidarity Trial and Head of the Division of Epidemiology, ICMR-National AIDS Research Institute wrote to Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at World Health Organization stating that there was "no reason to suspend the trial for safety concern." On her response, Dr Godbole said, "Only one arm of the Solidarity trial by WHO has temporary been paused for a time being i.e. HCQ arm, other arms of the clinical trial are still active."
Meanwhile, Oxford University have given a green light to the scientists to continue prescribing HCQ tablets to National Health Service (NHS) patients. According to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), they do not see any safety concerns.
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 17:06 IST, May 29th 2020