Sanofi will donate 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to 50 countries around the world.
The French pharmaceutical company has received an increasing number of requests from local governments around the world for this product. Sanofi’s priority is to ensure supply continuity for patients treated under the currently approved indications of the medicine, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Also, Sanofi will continue to donate the medicine to governments and hospital institutions around the world if ongoing clinical studies demonstrate its efficacy and safety in treating COVID-19 patients.
Currently, the interpretations of the available preliminary data on hydroxychloroquine in the management of COVID-19 differ widely, company officials said. To date, there is insufficient clinical evidence to draw any conclusion over the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in the management of COVID-19 patients, officials added.
It is one of several medicines being investigated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its international clinical trial seeking a treatment solution for COVID-19. There are no results from ongoing studies, company officials said, and the results may be positive or negative.
The company is also exploring alternative treatment options such as Kevzara (sarilumab) for severe COVID-19 patients. Further, it is leveraging its expertise to develop a new vaccine.