The study on the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 has been retracted; the drug was also used in Uzbekistan.

A study on the use of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, published in 2020, was retracted from the journal International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents due to concerns over its ethics, methodology, and conclusions. Among the authors was French physician Didier Raoult, who actively promoted the drug and was later stripped of his medical license.

The publisher Elsevier noted that the study may have violated rules regarding patient consent and the use of adjunctive medications. Three authors distanced themselves from the publication. An investigation involving an independent expert revealed data inaccuracies, leading to the study being deemed unreliable.

Hydroxychloroquine, initially approved by the FDA for emergency use at the beginning of the pandemic, was banned due to a lack of proven efficacy and the risk of side effects. The use of hydroxychloroquine during the COVID pandemic could have resulted in 17,000 deaths.

Hydroxychloroquine is a medication primarily used for the treatment and prevention of malaria, as well as for the treatment of certain other diseases.

In December 2020, Uzbekistan began purchasing hydroxychloroquine after the drug received praise from U.S. President Donald Trump. According to media reports, Uzbekistan procured over 1.5 million doses of hydroxychloroquine. Universities directly bought hydroxychloroquine from “Dori-Darmon.” Anhor.uz analyzed government purchases during that period and also confirmed the acquisition of hydroxychloroquine from this network.