India exports 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to U.S. for COVID-19 fight

The trade, India’s biggest export of the drug to any country, follows a request by U.S. President Donald Trump for New Delhi to release supplies of hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for the respiratory disease.

“It amounts to 50 million tablets… Commercial companies are pursuing. It’s ongoing,” said the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of discussions with the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Union’s drug regulator and the Canadian health department have cautioned against the use of hydroxychloroquine, citing side effects such as abnormal heart rhythms and a dangerously rapid heart rate.

However, the health warnings have done little to deter the drug’s imports to the United States, where some doctors are continuing to prescribe the drug for the treatment of COVID-19.

“There is high demand for hydroxychloroquine in the international market including U.S.,” Viranchi Shah, senior vice-president, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA), told Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-hydroxychlor/india-exports-50-million-hydroxychloroquine-tablets-to-u-s-for-covid-19-fight-source-idUSKBN22C2LN