There are no vaccines or treatments approved for the disease, but there is currently a 1,500-person trial, led by the University of Minnesota, to see whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19. Two other trials are studying blood pressure drug losartan as a possible treatment.
Novartis makes the malaria drug, which is also used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, at its Sandoz unit in the United States. It plans to donate 130 million doses of the drug and is in talks with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators over expanding its use for coronavirus.
“Novartis is supporting ongoing clinical trial efforts, and will evaluate needs for additional clinical trials,” it said in a statement.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said during a news conference on Friday he is optimistic about the malaria treatment’s use against COVID-19.
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