WHO temporarily pauses trial of hydroxychloroquine; says it will evaluate ‘potential benefits, harms’ from the drug

"The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board"-@DrTedros #COVID19

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 25, 2020

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they are temporarily suspending clinical tests on hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that United States (U.S) President Donald Trump earlier touted as a “game-changer” in the battle against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board,” Tedros said.

The move came after medical journal The Lancet published an observational study which showed that COVID-19 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were at higher risk of death.

The WHO chief said the executive group of the agency’s Solidarity Trial will be conducting a review and appraisal “of all evidence globally” to “adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug.”

While the testing of the antimalarial drug is being put on hold, Tedros said the “other arms of the trial are continuing.”

The WHO’s Solidarity Trial was launched to help find a cure for COVID-19. The trial, according to the WHO’s website, “will compare four treatment options against standard of care, to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19.” Hydroxychloroquine is one of those treatment options, along with Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Lopinavir/Ritonavir with Interferon beta-1a.

Trump previously revealed he was taking hydroxychloroquine, claiming that the drug is “good.” He clarified that he started taking the medicine not because he was exposed to the virus but because he got “a lot of positive letters” about it.

Trump was using the drug despite the cautions made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who earlier warned that hydroxychloroquine has “not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19.”

[READ: Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, claims it’s good]

On Sunday, the U.S. President said in an interview with news program “Full Measure With Sharyl Attkisson” that he “finished” taking a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine.

“And by the way, I’m still here. To the best of my knowledge, here I am,” he said.