Will Hydroxychloroquine Still Be a Game-Changer for COVID-19 by Combining Azithromycin?

Front Immunol. 2020 Aug 7:11:1969. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01969. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Recent small-scale clinical trials have shown promising results in the use of hydroxychloroquine, an FDA approved anti-malaria drug, for the treatment of COVID-19. However, large scale, randomized and double-blind clinical trials are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients. Here, we review the progress of using hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine as anti-viral agents, failed clinical trials of chloroquine in treatment of dengue virus and influenza infection, and especially the mechanism of azithromycin in inhibiting viral replication, so as to shed light on the ongoing clinical trials and further researches of hydroxychloroquine on SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS- CoV-2; azithromycin (AZM); clinical trial; hydroxychloroquine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Azithromycin / therapeutic use*
  • Betacoronavirus / drug effects*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Humans
  • Hydroxychloroquine / adverse effects*
  • Hydroxychloroquine / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • Azithromycin