Renowned French infectious disease expert Didier Raoult advocates for chloroquine amid ongoing debate. His approach is now integrated into the European Discovery trial, with France's Inserm leading the national effort. This large-scale study involves hundreds of participants, with initial results expected in over a month.
REMINDER:
Weeks ago, discussions highlighted chloroquine's potential against COVID-19, despite criticism from segments of the scientific community. As director of Marseille's Mediterranean Infection Institute, Didier Raoult shared evidence of chloroquine's effectiveness. Traditionally used for malaria, this drug showed promising antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties in early Chinese studies, even without precise efficacy metrics. Researchers suggested a regimen of 500 mg daily for 10 days.
Raoult recently published results from his trial involving 24 patients treated with Plaquenil, a chloroquine brand. Notably, only 25% remained virus-positive after 6 days. As reported by Les Échos on March 21, 2020, chloroquine is now a serious candidate. The French government has greenlit a large-scale randomized clinical trial under Inserm, as part of the broader European Discovery platform.
The Discovery trial enrolls 3,200 patients across Europe, including 800 in France, at sites in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Lille, and beyond. Participants are randomized into five arms: one placebo for symptom monitoring, and four testing therapies—Kaletra (anti-HIV), interferon beta (immune modulator), Remdesivir (anti-Ebola), and chloroquine.
Patience is required, with first results anticipated in at least six weeks. Urgency mounts as unsupervised Plaquenil use rises in some clinics for severe cases, though it poses risks, especially for seniors.
Related Articles:
