The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday, June 3, the resumption of clinical trials on hydroxychloroquine, nine days after suspending them after the publication of a study in the prestigious medical journal 'The Lancet'.

At the end of April, the WHO launched clinical trials, notably on hydroxychloroquine, called "Solidarity", with the aim of finding an effective treatment against Covid-19.

On May 25, the world health authority announced the suspension of trials on hydroxychloroquine following the publication of a study in the medical journal The Lancet deeming ineffective or even harmful the use of chloroquine or its derivatives such as hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19.

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The suspension of the trials was to allow WHO to analyze the information available, and a decision was expected in mid-June.

But as The Lancet distanced itself from the study on Tuesday evening, acknowledging in a formal warning that "important questions" hovered over it, WHO released its findings sooner than expected.

No differences noted "in mortality" 

"We are now fairly confident that we have not seen differences in mortality," Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said on Wednesday during a virtual press conference from the headquarters of the organization in Geneva.

After analysis of "available data on mortality", the members of the Safety and Monitoring Committee considered "that there was no reason to modify the protocol [of clinical trials]", insisted the director general of the 'WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a virtual press conference.

A large global study 

The Solidarity Trial Executive Group, which represents participating countries, "received this recommendation and approved the continuation of all dimensions of the trials, including on hydroxychloroquine," he said.

"The Executive Group will communicate with the main researchers in charge of the trial regarding the resumption of the hydroxychloroquine dimension of the trial," he said.

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Published in The Lancet on May 22, the study is based on data from 96,000 patients hospitalized between December and April in 671 hospitals, and compares the status of those who received treatment with that of patients who did not. Did not have.

With AFP

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