Medical journal Lancet withdrew the study about the dangers of hydroxychloroquine when COVID-19

Respected medical journal Lancet withdrew the study about the dangers of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for patients with coronavirus infection. About it writes The Guardian.

The study, which stated that the use of anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the coronavirus increases the risk of death by almost half, was published in the Lancet on may 22. The authors stated that data were obtained under the supervision of 96 thousand 671 patients in the hospital on six continents.

On 4 June The Guardian published an article which spoke of the inaccuracies in the data that were used for analysis. This information provided little-known American company Surgisphere. It also became known that Surgisphere refused to provide a complete database for verification by an independent audit company.

In this regard, the study’s lead author, Professor Mandeep Mehra from Boston (Massachusetts, USA) addressed to the editor of Lancet with a request to withdraw the article.

Magazine editor Richard Horton called the situation “appalling example of misconduct in research during the global emergency of health”.

In February and March 2020, about “apparent effectiveness” of chloroquine in the treatment of coronavirus infection, said the Chinese physicians, in April French, pointing out a large number of unwanted side effects.

After the publication of the study Mama’s, and his colleagues, the world health organization has suspended trials of hydroxychloroquine. June 3, testing was resumed. “Based on available data about mortality of the members of the Committee for security and monitoring data concluded that there is no reason to change the treatment Protocol. The Executive team had received the recommendation and approved the continuation of all clinical trials, including hydroxychloroquine,” – said the Director General of the who tedros adhanom Ghebreyesus.