June 4, 2020

expert reaction to RCT of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

A Randomised Control Trial (RCT), published in The NEJM, looked at hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.

Prof Martin Landray, Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, said:

“First up, the investigators should be congratulated for conducting a randomised trial to address an important question – can hydroxychloroquine be used to reduce the risk of infection among people exposed to coronavirus.  However, the study is too small to be definitive. The study makes it very unlikely that there is a large effect (e.g. a halving in the risk of infection) but cannot rule out a more modest difference (e.g. a reduction of one-quarter or one-third) which would still be very valuable. Other randomised trials of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic treatment are ongoing and we await their results with interest.”

‘A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19’ by Boulware et al. was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on Wednesday 3^rd June 2020.

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2016638

Declared interests

Prof Martin Landray: “Co-chief investigator of the RECOVERY trial of potential treatments for COVID-19 (funded by UKRI and NIHR). Research funding to University of Oxford received from Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Merck Sharp & Dohme.

“Infrastructure and core funding received from Health Data Research UK, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, UK Biobank Ltd, MRC Population Health Research Unit, and British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence. Employee of University of Oxford with salary supported by Li Ka Shing Foundation, Health Data Research UK, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust, and National Health Service.”