As antimalarial drugs Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have attracted attention as potential therapies COVID-19 With off-label products becoming widely available, it is now more important than ever to thoroughly evaluate the safety of these drugs. One recently in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology offers new knowledge.
When analyzing real-world data from the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Events Reporting System, a global database of post-market safety reports, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been linked to higher rates of various cardiovascular problems, including life-threatening cardiac rhythm events. Heart failure and damage to the heart muscle itself (called cardiomyopathy).
With the anti-malarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as potential therapies for COVID-19 have attracted attention and are widely used, it is more important than ever to thoroughly evaluate the safety of these drugs. An analysis recently published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provides new evidence. Photo credit: Dr. Elad Maor
“In addition, we show how these adverse events carry a high risk of serious consequences, including death, even with standard doses of the drugs,” said lead author Dr. med. Elad Maor from Sheba Medical Center and Tel Aviv University in Israel. “The takeaway message from our work is that doctors around the world should be careful when prescribing these drugs for off-label indications, especially for patients with heart disease.”
You can check Sheba Medical Center for more information.
Reference: “Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine-Related Cardiovascular Adverse Events: A Comprehensive Pharmacovigilance Analysis of Reports Prior to COVID-19” by Adam Goldman, David Bomze, Rachel Dankner, Hanoch Hod, Tomer Meirson, Ben Boursi and Elad Maor, 22nd September 2020, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
DOI: 10.1111 / bcp.14546
