Coronavirus: Sanofi promises a donation of 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine

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Faced with the health emergency, Sanofi announces its intention to donate 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, a derivative of chloroquine, to fifty countries. This drug, very well known in Africa for combating malaria, arouses great interest in the treatment of patients infected with the coronavirus. It is currently being evaluated by the World Health Organization.

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To supply these 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine , Sanofi has already doubled its production. The pharmaceutical company even plans to strengthen it, or even quadruple it by the summer, if the ongoing evaluations of the effectiveness of this drug against Covid-19 are conclusive. At this point, it is not possible to " draw any conclusions " about its effectiveness in the treatment of coronavirus, said the company, in a statement.

" The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the world into an unprecedented health and economic crisis that undermines the very principles of solidarity and international cooperation ," said Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of Sanofi.

The pharmaceutical group therefore wants to help " the greatest number ", around fifty countries. If he does not specify which in particular in his press release, he refers to countries in precarious situations and those which do not have chloroquine suppliers. The company also wants to ensure good continuity in the supply of the drug.

Very divided countries and specialists

Between doubts and hope, chloroquine, easy to manufacture and inexpensive, leaves no one indifferent. China, the United States, Russia have adopted it. India, the world's largest producer, banned it, before authorizing it again .

In Senegal, patients infected with the virus heal faster, says Professor Moussa Seydi , head of the infectious diseases department of the Fann hospital in Dakar.

France remains very divided on the question, although Professor Didier Raoult, director of the Marseille University Hospital Institute (IHU) presented to Emmanuel Macron this Thursday, the promising results of his latest tests on more than 1,000 patients, 43 years old on average. The mortality rate is 0.5% and the cure rate is over 91% for patients who have taken chloroquine in combination with an antibiotic.

Some hospitals in Sweden have removed it. Patients with Covid-19 have indeed had serious heart complications after taking chloroquine. Faced with these uncertainties, Sanofi therefore calls for greater international cooperation on the effectiveness of this drug against Covid-19

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• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine

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