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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Questions (502)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

502. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to provide a drug (details supplied) for the treatment of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4195/20]

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Written answers

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are antimalarial drugs with several pharmacological actions which impart therapeutic efficacy primarily in the treatment of rheumatic disease. They share similar chemical structures and mechanisms of action. Hydroxychloroquine is licensed in Ireland for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus, and dermatological conditions caused or aggravated by sunlight. It is not licensed for the treatment of COVID-19. There are no medicinal products containing chloroquine phosphate authorised for the Irish market.

The COVID-19 Evidence Review Group (ERG) for Medicines was established to support the HSE in managing the significant amount of information on treatments for COVID-19. This COVID- 19 Evidence Review Group is comprised of evidence synthesis practitioners from across the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE), Medicines Management Programme (MMP) and the National Medicines Information Centre (NMIC). The group respond to queries raised via the Office of the HSE Chief Clinical Officer, National Clinical Programmes and the Department of Health and respond in a timely way with the evidence review supporting the query.

The Evidence Review Group undertook a rapid evidence review of antiviral therapies in the treatment of Covid-19. In vitro, pre-clinical studies have suggested that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may be effective treatments for Covid-19. However, emerging clinical evidence is increasingly showing a lack of significant clinical efficacy of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. Researchers have registered hundreds of clinical trials for COVID-19, many of which are actively recruiting. COVID-19 trials need to be well designed and adequately powered to generate robust evidence. A number of large, international clinical trials of investigational treatments for COVID-19 (including hydroxychloroquine) are underway in Europe. These include the Solidarity trial, the REMAP-CAP trial and the Discovery trial.

Based on the best evidence available, at present, prescribing of antivirals for the management of patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease should be restricted to hospitals only. Therefore, any use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid-19 is restricted to use in hospital settings and in line with the recommended guidance in the Clinical Management of Acute Respiratory Infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/acute-hospitals-division/drugs-management-programme/specific-antiviral-therapy-in-the-clinical-management-of-acute-respiratory-infection-with-sars-cov-2-covid-19-version-3.pdf .

Chloroquine is not listed for use in this guidance.

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