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Hydroxychloroquine

Generic Name
Hydroxychloroquine
Brand Names
Plaquenil, Sovuna
Drug Type
Small Molecule
Chemical Formula
C18H26ClN3O
CAS Number
118-42-3
Unique Ingredient Identifier
4QWG6N8QKH
Background

Hydroxychloroquine is a racemic mixture consisting of an R and S enantiomer. Hydroxychloroquine is an aminoquinoline like chloroquine. It is a commonly prescribed medication in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Hydroxychloroquine is also used for the prophylaxis of malaria in regions where chloroquine resistance is unlikely. It was developed during World War II as a derivative of quinacrine with less severe side effects. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are both being investigated for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

The FDA emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19 was revoked on 15 June 2020.

Hydroxychloroquine was granted FDA approval on 18 April 1955.

A recent study reported a fatality in the group being treated with hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19.

Indication

Hydroxychloroquine is indicated for the prophylaxis of malaria where chloroquine resistance is not reported, treatment of uncomplicated malaria (caused by P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, or P. vivax), chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus, acute rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic rheumatoid arthritis.

Associated Conditions
Acute Rheumatoid Arthritis, Malaria, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, Q Fever, Sjogren's Syndrome (SS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Uncomplicated Malaria caused by Plasmodium Vivax, Uncomplicated Malaria caused by Plasmodium malariae, Uncomplicated Malaria caused by Plasmodium ovale, Chronic Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE), Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis, Uncomplicated Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum
Clinical Trials
Related News

Hydroxychloroquine Shows Promise as Pretreatment for TIL Cancer Therapy, Juncell Therapeutics Reports

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Clinical Trial of Antimalarial as Repurposing Drug for COVID-19

A comprehensive review of clinical trials exploring the repurposing of antimalarial drugs for COVID-19 treatment, focusing on their efficacy and safety. The study highlights the potential of certain antimalarial drugs, such as Artemisinin-Piperaquine (AP), in reducing the duration of SARS-CoV-2 presence in the body, while also noting the significant side effects associated with these treatments.

Adicet Bio's ADI-001 Receives FDA Fast Track for Refractory SLE, Expands Autoimmune Pipeline

• Adicet Bio's ADI-001 receives FDA Fast Track designation for refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with extrarenal involvement, expediting its development. • A Phase 1 trial is underway, evaluating ADI-001 across six autoimmune indications, including lupus nephritis (LN), SLE, systemic sclerosis (SSc), and others, with preliminary data expected in 2025. • ADI-001, an allogeneic gamma delta CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD20, has shown promising B-cell depletion in preclinical studies, suggesting potential as an off-the-shelf treatment. • Adicet Bio is also advancing ADI-270, a CAR T-cell therapy for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), with Phase 1 data anticipated in the first half of 2025.

Real-World Data Show No Overall Survival Difference Among First-Line CDK4/6 Inhibitors in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer

• A retrospective study of 9,146 patients revealed no significant difference in overall survival (OS) among palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib when combined with aromatase inhibitors as first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. • The P-VERIFY study used real-world data from electronic health records to compare the effectiveness of the three CDK4/6 inhibitor combinations, adjusting for potential confounders using standardized inverse probability of treatment weighting. • While progression-free survival benefits have been demonstrated for all three CDK4/6 inhibitors in phase 3 trials, this real-world analysis suggests that the statistically significant OS benefit observed with ribociclib may not translate to a significant difference in clinical practice. • The study acknowledges limitations such as smaller sample sizes and shorter follow-up for the ribociclib and abemaciclib cohorts, highlighting the need for longer-term data and further research to validate these findings.
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