Health and Science

UK halts trial of hydroxychloroquine in Covid-19 patients after no benefit found

Key Points
  • The Oxford University professor co-leading the trial said the anti-malaria drug is "not a treatment" for Covid-19.
A pharmacy tech holds a bottle and a pill of Hydroxychloroquine at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020.
George Frey | Getty Images

British scientists halted a large trial on Monday that had been exploring the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in patients with the pandemic disease COVID-19 after initial results showed no evidence of benefit.

"We reviewed the data and concluded there is no evidence of a beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised with COVID, and decided to stop enrolling patients to the hydroxychloroquine arm with immediate effect," said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor who is co-leading the so-called RECOVERY trial. 

"This is not a treatment (for COVID-19)," he added.