US halts test of Trump-touted hydroxychloroquine for Covid-19 patients

A pharmacist displays a box of Hydroxychloroquine at the CHR Centre Hospitalier Regional de la Citadelle Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Liege

The US National Institutes of Health said on Saturday it has halted a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

The study found that hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump has frequently touted a possible treatment, did not provide any benefit to the patients, even though it did no harm, NIH said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization said testing of hydroxychloroquine in its large multi-country trial of treatments for Covid-19 patients had been halted after new data and studies showed no benefit.

The US Food and Drug Administration revoked its emergency use authorisation for hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 on Monday.

Trump had promoted the drug as a potential treatment, saying in March it could turn out to be "one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine" when used in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin.

Last month, in a surprise announcement, Trump said he was taking a course of hydroxychloroquine as a preventative after two White House aides tested positive for the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

NIH announced its trial of hydroxychloroquine, which is used to treat malaria and rheumatoid conditions such as arthritis, in April.