Published in PLOS Medicine, the study, called COPCOV, also showed that both drugs, commonly used to prevent and treat malaria, reduced other respiratory illnesses and helped people miss fewer days at work due to sickness. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were also found to be safe and well tolerated by participants.
As well as being led by MORU, OUCRU also took part as collaborators in this study, with OUCRU Indonesia managing the trial in Indonesia and OUCRU Nepal overseeing the trial in Nepal, working closely with local partners in both countries. The overall study was conducted across 26 sites in 11 countries, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Thailand, the UK, and Zambia.
The COPCOV study began in 2020 but faced many challenges at the beginning. Early in the pandemic, there was a false claim that hydroxychloroquine was dangerous, which caused public distrust. As a result, regulatory authorities withdrew their support for the drug and revoked emergency authorizations for its use. This led to many trials, which were looking into its potential for treating COVID-19, being paused or stopped altogether.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) website.