Elsevier and the International Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy have retracted a paper published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents on the benefits of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19. The paper was authored by researchers at the IHU Mediterranean Infection Research Center in Marseille, led by Philippe Gautret, and co-authored by the institution's director, Didier Raoult. The paper, cited 3,859 times, prompted emergency guidelines for infections, leading to millions of patients receiving an unnecessary drug with dangerous side effects, according to Science.
Scientists noted the article's inconclusiveness just four days after its publication on March 20, 2020. The sample included only 36 patients, and peer review took four days. Furthermore, six patients receiving hydroxychloroquine were excluded from the results, one of whom died and three were transferred to the intensive care unit. The PCR test thresholds in the treatment and control groups were different. Subsequent trials did not confirm the drug's effectiveness, but it nevertheless gained popularity. This caused considerable controversy in the scientific and medical community, and lawsuits were filed against the institution and its director.
