Jamie Ngai
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
UROP Fellowship: Biomedical and Life Sciences
Research Mentor(s): Yongqun Oliver He, PhD
University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Presentation Date: Monday, July 27, 2020 | Session 2 | Presenter: 4
Authors: Jamie Ngai, Yongqun He
Abstract
BACKGROUND: With the 2019 novel coronavirus, the world has been evaluating many already existing drugs for their efficacy in COVID-19 treatment and prophylaxis. Beginning late March 2020, two antimalarial quinoline drugs, hydroxychloroquine sulfate and chloroquine phosphate, have been approved for use to treat COVID-19 patients within a hospital setting. On June 15, the FDA revoked the emergency use authorization of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 patients due to the significant risk of cardiac adverse events/effects (AEs).
RESULTS: FDA-approved drug package inserts as well as online adverse effects databases such as the Ontology of Adverse Effects (OAE) and the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) were surveyed to analyze possible and frequent adverse effects caused by hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. Through data and literature mining, data from clinical trials were collected to provide a general safety profile of the two quinoline drugs when used to treat malaria and COVID-19 to possibly explain the higher risk and incidence of heart AEs associated with COVID-19 patients.
CONCLUSION: Hydroxychloroquine, which has a safer profile than chloroquine, may prove to be effective in treating COVID-19, however the risk of cardiac events is still significant. Patients should be monitored closely through electrocardiograms and dosages should be adjusted accordingly with regards to the patient’s pre-existing medical conditions to lessen the risk of AEs while still maintaining their therapeutic effects. Online ontologies such as OAE are helpful and accessible tools to catalogue and identify AEs associated with these drugs, allowing the public to further understand the risks associated with antimalarial drugs and COVID-19.
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Research Disciplines
Biomedical Sciences
