Post Exposure Prophylaxis with Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the Prevention of COVID-19, a Myth or a Reality? The PEP-CQ Study
Low dose prospective PEP study with 132 HCQ patients and 185 control patients, showing significantly lower COVID-19 cases with treatment. There were no serious adverse events. HCQ 800mg on day one followed by 400mg once weekly for 3 weeks.
risk of symptomatic case, 43.9% lower, RR 0.56, p = 0.21, treatment 6 of 132 (4.5%), control 15 of 185 (8.1%), NNT 28, adjusted per study.
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risk of case, 50.0% lower, RR 0.50, p = 0.04, treatment 10 of 132 (7.6%), control 28 of 185 (15.1%), NNT 13, adjusted per study, PCR+.
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risk of case, 41.0% lower, RR 0.59, p = 0.03, treatment 14 of 132 (10.6%), control 36 of 185 (19.5%), NNT 11, adjusted per study.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Dhibar et al., 6 Nov 2020, prospective, India, peer-reviewed, 13 authors, trial
NCT04408456 (history).
Abstract: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 56 (2020) 106224
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijantimicag
Post-exposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine for the prevention
of COVID-19, a myth or a reality? The PEP-CQ Study
Deba Prasad Dhibar a,∗, Navneet Arora a, Arpit Kakkar a, Neeraj Singla a, Ritin Mohindra a,
Vikas Suri a, Ashish Bhalla a, Navneet Sharma a, Mini P. Singh b, Ajay Prakash c,
Lakshmi PVM d, Bikash Medhi c
a
Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
Department of Virology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
c
Department of Pharmacology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
d
Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
b
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 26 August 2020
Accepted 1 November 2020
Keywords:
Hydroxychloroquine
Post-exposure prophylaxis
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Pandemic
Prevention
a b s t r a c t
Many drugs have been tried for the treatment/prevention of COVID-19 with limited success. Direct household contacts of COVID-19 patients are at highest risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hydroxychloroquine
(HCQ) has been tried against COVID-19 owing to its in vitro virucidal action against SARS-CoV-2, but
the role of HCQ as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) remains inconclusive. In this open-label, controlled
clinical trial, asymptomatic individuals who had direct contact with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases
or had undertaken international travel in the last 2 weeks were offered HCQ prophylaxis and assigned to
PEP (n = 132) or control (n = 185) group. The PEP group received HCQ 800 mg on Day 1 followed by 400
mg once weekly for 3 weeks. Both groups undertook home quarantine for 2 weeks along with social distancing and personal hygiene. Over 4-week follow-up, 50/317 participants (15.8%) had new-onset COVID19. The incidence of COVID-19 was significantly (P = 0.033) lower in the PEP (14/132; 10.6%) compared
to the control (36/185; 19.5%) group (total absolute risk reduction, –8.9% points). The NNT to prevent the
occurrence of 1 COVID-19 case was 12. Overall relative risk was 0.59 (95% CI 0.33–1.05). Compliance was
good. The most common adverse event was epigastric discomfort with burning sensation (three participants), with no serious adverse events. PEP with HCQ has the potential for the prevention of COVID-19
in at-risk individuals. Until definitive therapy is available, continuing PEP with HCQ may be considered in
suitable at-risk individuals. Further randomised clinical trials with larger samples are required for better
evaluation of HCQ as PEP for COVID-19 prevention.
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.
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