WHO halts hydroxychloroquine trials on coronavirus patients

The World Health Organization has announced that it has stopped trials examining the potential of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the novel coronavirus after its multi-country trials showed "no benefit."

The big picture: The WHO paused last month tests of the anti-malarial drug after a review published in The Lancet stated potentially fatal health problems. It restarted trials after this paper was retracted, the BBC notes. The WHO said Wednesday its data "showed that hydroxychloroquine does not result in the reduction of mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients." The FDA ended on Monday its emergency use authorization of the drug that President Trump said previously he supported and used.