Formulation and stability study of hydroxychloroquine sulfate oral suspensions

Abstract

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug indicated in the treatment of acute attacks of malaria due to Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and susceptible strains of P. falciparum. It is also used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus, and more recently proposed in COVID-19 therapy. Hydroxychloroquine is only available in tablets which are not easy to administer for pediatric and geriatric patients, and patients unable to swallow such as patients found in intensive care units. The aim of this work was to develop and optimize a ready to use liquid hydroxychloroquine formulation and to carry out the corresponding chemical and microbiological stability studies. The formulation was evaluated for ease of preparation, physical properties, and palatability. Its stability was performed at ambient temperature and under refrigeration. After 6 months of stability testing, the results showed no pH change, no drug loss, no microbial development, and no visual change. The formulation, employing excipients in a range that EMA has recommended, showed chemical and microbiological stability for at least 6 months even in the worst storage conditions.

Effect of Pre-admission Hydroxychloroquine Treatment on COVID-19-related Intensive Care Follow-up in Geriatric Patients

“…An international study including 7,500 physicians from 30 countries has shown that most of the physicians questioned considered hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) the most effective treatment for COVID-19. [8,9] In vitro studies have shown that HCQ sulfate can indeed inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, [10,11] while a separate in vitro study reported that the combination of azithromycin and HCQ inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection. [12] Although the efficacy of this treatment has been accepted, especially when it is started in the early stages of the disease, the efficacy of early treatment has not been investigated in the geriatric population with high mortality rates.…”