Paris (AFP)

The clinical trials of chloroquine, an antimalarial, carried out in Marseille to treat patients with Covid-19 are "promising" and will be extended, the government said on Tuesday.

"I have taken note of the results and have given the authorization so that a larger trial by other teams can be initiated as soon as possible on a larger number of patients", indicated during a press conference by telephone the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, specifying that these tests "have already started in Lille I believe".

The minister stressed that he was "in very close contact with Professor Didier Raoult" who conducted these first tests in Marseille and asked for their extension, and he expressed the hope that these new tests "will make it possible to consolidate the interesting results that he seems to have gotten. "

But "it is absolutely fundamental to base any decision of public health policy on validated scientific data, and the validation processes, one cannot negotiate with", he underlined about these tests.

"We can shorten all the deadlines, which we have done," he added, indicating that he had given "in 24 hours" the authorization to conduct these tests. "If the results are favorable, we will all have the opportunity to rejoice."

Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye had earlier described as "promising" the first trials "on 24 patients", after a Council of Ministers.

These new clinical trials "will be carried out with a team independent of Pr (Didier) Raoult", she also stressed, noting that at this stage "we have no scientific proof" that this treatment works.

Professor Raoult, who tests chloroquine at the Marseille University Hospital Institute, said Monday that its effect against the coronavirus was spectacular with the disappearance of the virus in six days from three quarters of the patients.

In a video, the director of the Marseille IHU explains that 24 patients suffering from the coronavirus, took Plaquenil, one of the trade names of chloroquine and that six days later, only 25% are still carriers of the virus while 90% of those who have not received this treatment are still positive.

But several experts call for caution in the absence of further studies and because of its side effects which can be serious, especially in case of overdose.

A Chinese study in February had already mentioned the effectiveness of chloroquine after a study on more than 100 patients.

Chloroquine is an antimalarial used for several decades and marketed in particular under the name of Nivaquine. This treatment is often recommended when planning to go to an area infested with the malaria parasite, transmitted by mosquitoes.

© 2020 AFP