Washington, Apr 12: The consignment of hydroxychloroquine — a drug that is touted as a cure to novel coronavirus — arrived in the United States on Sunday from India.
“Supporting our partners in the fight against #Covid19. Consignment of hydroxichloroquine from India arrived at Newark airport today” India Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu apprised in a tweet.
The huge order of the drug was delivered to the US on President Donald Trumps’s repeated demand. Mr Trump has many times touted hydroxychloroquine, widely used to treat malaria, as a therapeutics against coronavirus, though its effects are yet to be scientifically proven.
On Thursday, Mr Trump thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing the export of hydroxychloroquine pills that can potentially be used as a coronavirus cure.
“Our national stockpile is now equipped with nearly 30 million hydroxychloroquine pills. We distribute them by the millions. I want to thank Prime Minister Modi of India for allowing us to have what we requested…He was terrific, we will remember it”, the President said during the COVID response daily briefing at the White House.
In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, India, in March, had banned the export of hydroxychloroquine which could be used as potential anti-viral agent, and other generic medicines.
On April 7, India, on repeated requests made by US, partially lifted the ban on exporting the malaria drug.
Meanwhile, a new French study, reported by EN24 news, said that of 1,061 hospitalised COVID-19 patients showed a 91.7 per cent cure (viral shedding) within 10 days of hydroxychloroquine treatment along with anti-biotic. It also reported a 96 per cent cure rate after 15 days.
(UNI)
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